At the Moment
by mew-tsubaki
Summary: To the Future companion story. Her life had been perfect until Trelawney opened her mouth. Now Mira's love life is in chaos -and all because of Charlie. R&R! WE'RE AT 22 and 23 NOW!
1. 1st Hint

**At the Moment**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

Note: J.K. Rowling's characters are in another companion story to my fics **To the Future**, **From the Past**, and **In the Present**. As usual, there are O.C.s, but duh, because Charlie's with an O.C. Anywho, please enjoy the story and let me know what you think of it in a review. BTW: I don't know how many chapters this'll last, but it will be shorter than the companion stories.

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**The First Hint**

It all began in February.

Okay, well, obviously we are in medias res here, but I think you get the point. The school year had been going on for several months, but this new…_thing_ started in February.

Probably because of that stupid, stupid holiday.

Miraphina Atherton: Seventeen, a Scorpio, and a Muggle-born witch. Kinda short, but with curves. Long, dark brown hair with chestnut streaks in the bangs. Pale, celadon green eyes, with a kind of blue green hue. Perfect pout, perfect smile, perfect life.

Mira was well into her seventh and last year at Hogwarts. She had a boyfriend –Slytherin Grant Selwyn. She had a close group of friends –namely the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Her classes were fairly easy, but mainly because she was extremely intelligent. Yet, there existed one thing that she could experience, yet couldn't quite comprehend:

Love.

So, February was the _perfect_ time for it to begin.

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Coming from Muggle Studies, Miraphina spied Grant and his best mate and her friend, Ginny Weasley, with him. She would be joining them for their History of Magic class.

The Hufflepuff bounded up to them. She turned to Ginny. "Hi, Ginny."

"Hi, Mira," the Weasley daughter replied as Mira kissed Grant's cheek.

Mira noted that Grant didn't smile like he usually did. _You'd think after almost three months together, he'd at least smile for me,_ Miraphina groused to herself.

"What's going on?" Ginny asked, looking at the girls around them who were giggling and laughing and talking about their love lives.

Grant entered Binns' room ahead of the two girls, so Mira answered. "Oh, they're probably going on and on about Professor Trelawney's little fortunes-telling."

"What makes these ones so different?"

"With Saint Valentine's Day coming up, Trelawney decided to do some love readings for whomever. Remember in class when she said this year's a good one for love?" Ginny nodded. "Well, she's just been doing it on a whim. It's free, too."

Ginny sent Mira a sly look. "So have you gone yet?"

Mira stuck her nose in the air. "Nope, and I don't plan on it. Grant and I are one-hundred-percent made for each other." She hugged his arm to her. "Right, Grant?"

This time, it was plain enough that both girls saw it. "Hmm…sure," he said with apathy. But before either could ask him anything, class had started. Whatever it was would have to wait.

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She had to wonder if the Sorting Hat should've put her in Hufflepuff, because Mira was taking things into her own hands. She was not letting whatever it was wait.

Grant had been indifferent for the rest of the day, and it upset Mira. When she had gone to him months ago and told him how much she liked him, he had been ecstatic. He liked her just as much. But nowadays, it seemed like he _had_ liked her just as much.

_Is this even right?_ Mira questioned herself as she went to Professor Trelawney's office. The brunette gripped the edges of her sweater, twisting it. She had only been telling Ginny that she wasn't going to do this hours ago; now here she was, hesitating to enter. The witch squidged her eyes shut. _Screw it! I need to know what's going on with Grant!_

She knocked on the door, and a voice within called, "Come in."

Mira went inside. It was strange how eerie the classroom could become when it was nighttime outside and darkness poured in from the windows. She went straight to the Divination teacher's desk, and Trelawney was there behind it.

"Are you here for a love reading?" Trelawney asked.

Forcing down a grimace, Mira nodded and sat down. "What do you need me to do?"

"Nothing really, dear," the teacher answered. She pulled out a worn suede bag and dropped it on her desk. "We'll be using the rune stones, since they're a little more accurate."

"O-Okay…" Inside, however, raged inner turmoil. Mira didn't really like the rune stones. Something didn't sit right about them; they felt like they contained Dark Magic or something.

Trelawney hummed to herself as she dumped the stones on her desk. "Think of how deep you want to reach into your heart. It will lend power to your inner eye."

Mira nodded, despite Trelawney's gobbledygook. She thought of Grant, wondering what was bothering him so much that he couldn't show her any affection. This had actually been going on for a while, but it had grown more prominent in the past few weeks. Miraphina wanted to be able to help him, but she also wanted to know if this was love, or if it ever would be.

The Divination professor gathered the rune stones and breathed on her clasped hands. She released them abruptly, and the bone-like stones skittered across the desk. Some almost fell off, but they all managed to stay on the flat surface. Trelawney poured over them, mm-ing and ah-ing.

The Hufflepuff leaned over them to see what the teacher saw, but they were just little pictures to her. Yeah, she had been doing the homework, but the runes' meanings escaped her. She flicked her eyes to Trelawney. "What do you see?"

"Your future is entangled," Trelawney answered. "You're caught up in a childish idea of romance right now, but things will work out. True love will find you soon, though at a rather improper and inconvenient moment."

"Wait –so the relationship I'm in right now isn't something serious?"

"Yes, quite. The real love in the near future is the permanent love of your life. This stone here points to danger, but this one-" –she pointed to a rune that looked like a dragon wing –"-this one signifies protection. Combined with the love rune, it means your true love will always be by your side, if he isn't already."

Mira's heart flip-flopped in her chest. She brightened at the prospect of finding her soulmate, but her chest tightened at the statement that Grant was not the one. He was supposed to be just a fling. "Can you tell me anything about him? Is he here at Hogwarts?"

"He is that near, the runes do say that. He's of authority, maybe? He's got many scars, or maybe tattoos. Brilliant blue eyes… A good height, too." Trelawney looked up at her. "He dwarfs you in size, almost; a good head, head and a quarter taller than you."

"Thank you, Professor Trelawney," Mira interrupted, rising quickly. "Good night."

"One more thing," Trelawney continued as if nothing had disturbed her, "you love him as much as he loves you. Rather, when you recognize him as the one, you'll love him as much as he will you."

"Good night, professor," Mira repeated as she made her way to the door.

"Good night, dear."

Outside Trelawney's classroom, Mira had to get her breath out of her throat. She choked on it, but it finally flew free. The witch went to the Hufflepuff girls' dormitory and went straight to her bed, ignoring the fact that she had not eaten.

So she and Grant were over before they even had a real beginning? And some mystery man was going to suddenly appear and sweep Mira off her feet? She bit her lip and sobbed quietly into her pillow.

She wasn't going to let that happen.

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**Not to bad for an O.C., right? I love Mira from ****To the Future****, the GinnyxSirius story, and I hope that enough liked Mira, too, or at least want to see Charlie happy.**

**Let me know what you think with a review, please!!**

**Thank you!**

**-mew-tsubaki**


	2. 2nd Hint

**At the Moment**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

Note: J.K. Rowling's characters are in another companion story to my fics **To the Future**, **From the Past**, and **In the Present**. As usual, there are O.C.s, but duh, because Charlie's with an O.C. Anywho, please enjoy the story and let me know what you think of it in a review. BTW: I don't know how many chapters this'll last, but it will be shorter than the companion stories.

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**The Second Hint**

The night before the big Quidditch game between Gryffindor and Slytherin, Miraphina went to Gryffindor Tower and chased Ginny from the Common Room. Mira had come up with a plan.

"Why can't I relax for a bit?" Ginny whined as they went downstairs.

"Oh, you'll do fine tomorrow," the Hufflepuff retorted. "You're the best Chaser the team's seen in years."

Ginny eyed her skeptically as they approached Trelawney's door. "I thought you weren't going to buy into this," she reminded Mira.

"Don't start," Miraphina chastised. "You've seen it clear as day as I have: Something's up with Grant. I just want to make sure that it's not me that's bothering him."

The redhead sighed. "Mira-"

Miraphina shoved Ginny toward the Divination chambers. "Please," she begged, a small blush brushing her cheeks, "I can't go in there; I'm too nervous. Just ask her about my future with Grant."

"But _I'm _not the one dating him," the Gryffindor retorted.

"It's okay. Work your magic." The Hufflepuff gave one final push and Ginny was knocking on Trelawney's door. It swung open and let her in, then slammed close.

_So step one has gone smoothly enough,_ Mira thought while she waited outside the room. _Maybe if somebody else asks about Grant and me, then the outcome will be different. And if it _is_ different, then I'll know not to take any of it seriously. I'll know that Grant and I _are_ meant to be._

But waiting was making her fidgety. Mira was nervous that tonight's reading, though a few nights after the first one she had gotten with the Divination teacher, would be the same. She didn't want to be told that Fate had something else planned for her, and she especially didn't want to fall into that plan. She thought it unfair that she had no choice in the matter.

_What's taking so long?_ she wondered after almost ten minutes had passed. After another minute, Mira left to go to the bathroom. She passed a window on her way there, and the night sky distracted her. _The stars are very pretty, but there's no way that they can determine one's destiny._

A couple of stars twinkled in what seemed like a response, and Mira sighed, leaning on the sill with her hands cupping her cheeks. She ignored the stars and stared at the moon instead, wishing she had never gone to Trelawney in the first place.

_Who am I kidding? I wish that Grant hadn't become so disinterested,_ the brunette corrected. Her eyes drifted over the grounds and the Forbidden Forest and came to rest on Professor Charlie Weasley's hut. Mira watched the firelight inside it flicker, casting shadows with all the things inside. One shadow looked like the professor reading, enjoying himself. _I wish I could enjoy myself again…,_ Mira glumly pondered. She pushed off the sill and found the girls' bathroom. Quickly enough, she headed back to Trelawney's classroom, pausing at the window only to see the light go out in Professor Weasley's hut.

Ginny was waiting for her when Miraphina came back. The redhead looked shaken, and Mira didn't like that one bit. "Was it bad?" she asked.

"Umm…kinda neutral," Ginny stated. "The rune stones don't tell you much." She linked her arm through Miraphina's and tugged her away from the tower. "Where were you, anyway?"

Mira blushed. "Sorry. No sooner had the door closed after you then I heard the call of nature." She quieted and thought for a second. "So neutral could be good," she said slowly. "Well, I'll make the most of it. Grant's mine, and I won't let anyone else have him."

Ginny distractedly nodded. "Yeah…"

As it was bedtime, they parted, and Mira felt only slightly better when she got into bed. Neutral could be good, but Ginny's interpretation of 'neutral' might be way off if she thought Mira finding her soulmate would heal the heartbreak of losing Grant. _If_ that's what Ginny was told. But all the Weasley girl had said was 'neutral'.

And 'neutral' was just that…neutral.

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The next morning, everyone headed out to the Quidditch field for the match between Gryffindor and Slytherin. Mira met up with Grant outside the Great Hall and they went to the field together, but it was uncomfortably quiet. Grant seemed and looked out-of-place in the stands next to her. The lack-luster dullness in his eyes saddened her, forcing her to look away.

Around them, all the others were building up the excitement. Banners and noisemakers nearly drowned out the cheering, but everything altogether drowned out the opening commentary. The teams would be out soon.

Miraphina eyed the crowd. Mostly it was a sea of green and silver, gold and maroon, yellow and black, and blue and bronze. She let her gaze wander to the teacher stands and saw most of them chatting with each other. Professor Lupin was absent, Professor Black was debating something with Professor Longbottom, and Professor Weasley… She squinted. He was reading again. She wondered _what_ it was that made him more interested than Quidditch –after all, she remembered Ginny saying he had been on the team before. But he put it away as the two teams zipped up into the field. The real commentary was starting, so Mira brought her attention back to the sport.

"_Welcome, everyone! It's time for another match between rival Houses Gryffindor and Slytherin, and I, Gerald Dissinger, will be your commentator on this lovely February morning! Now that both teams are all set up, Madam Hooch will release the balls! … There go the Bludgers, and the Golden Snitch has already disappeared from sight! The Quaffle is up and… The Quaffle's in Gryffindor's hands!_"

It hadn't taken Ginny very long to nab the red ball and snag the first round of points, and she and Sturgis Reaves seemed synchronized in the way that they traded off in the scoring of the points. Slytherin only managed to score a third of the points the Gryffindor Chasers had.

But the real test was Gryffindor Seeker, Nigel Creevey. He was older than the Slytherin's, who was lighter than him. The difference was rather obvious.

"_And Gryffindor's Seeker has pulled up on Slytherin's but –oh! Blind-sided by a Bludger! What terrible luck!_"

A black boy, Mavrick Morris, one of the Beaters, moved up in the field. He neared Nigel, ready to defend the Seeker when he next needed it.

Again, Reaves scored, but Slytherin was beginning to catch up. One of the Slytherin Beaters had sent a Bludger sailing towards Raven Crowley, Gryffindor Captain and Keeper, and Derrov Benton, the other Beater, hadn't made it in time to send it back. The black ball had rammed into her left shoulder. Despite that, however, the others held their positions.

Ginny looked around for the Quaffle and saw it in Slytherin's hands. She sped to meet the slippery Chaser and came up on his side, only to be sandwiched in between him and the other Slytherin Chaser. She shimmied to a slower speed, and drifted backwards out of their grip until-

_**WHAM!**_

"_Ooh! Nice play by Gryffindor's very own Ginny Weasley! The bristles of her broom sure did send the two Slytherin Chasers twirling like they were at the Yule Ball! And it also landed the Quaffle in Weasley's hands!! Whatta play!!_"

True, Ginny had caught it and scored a few more points, but Mira understood that the game had to end at some point, and both Seekers were looking dumbstruck, unsure of where the Golden Snitch had escaped to. Just then, Nigel shot off to the east side of the field.

Everyone else had been watching Nigel, too. "_It looks like Gryffindor's caught sight of the Golden Snitch once again!! Their Seeker's speeding towards one of the green and silver Slytherin banners and- HE'S GOT IT!!! GRYFFINDOR CAUGHT THE GOLDEN SNITCH!!! THE MATCH GOES TO GRYFFINDOR!!!!!_"

"WOOOOOHHH!!!!" Miraphina screamed; she was jumping up and down, happy to see her friend's victory. She didn't bother turning to Grant to see if he was even smiling. Instead, she watched Ginny shake herself and alight on the ground next to Mavrick, Reaves, and Nigel. She poked Mavrick, who had Crowley on his other side.

He shook his head, but Ginny 'helpfully' shoved him into Raven. All that got was a start out of the blonde, who said something to her. Mira kept an eye on them as she left the stands and made it onto the field.

"Oh, my bad," Ginny said to Raven once Mira was in hearing range. The Weasley daughter muttered something out of the side of her mouth to Mavrick. She gave him another little nudge and- "Oops."

Mavrick had fallen on top of Raven, their lips accidently locked. He quickly stood and apologized. "I'm sorry, Raven! I-!"

But Raven bashfully/angrily looked away from him. "Whatever you have to say to me, tell me later, Mavrick. Not here."

His jaw dropped and he glanced at Ginny; she was smiling. She had heard it, too. Raven had called him 'Mavrick' instead of 'Morris'!! Mira thought it rather interesting, this change in attitude, that Raven's bitchiness could suddenly become something else. She raised an eyebrow at Ginny, who raised one in return. The two of them laughed at the others.

Mira looked around then, feeling alone while in the middle of the crowd. She turned and saw Grant behind her, but his mind was elsewhere, his eyes on the ground while he stared off into space. She wanted to scream; she wanted to stomp and yell and slap him if not shake him. She wanted things to be different.

Things hadn't been different because of the stupid rune-stone reading with Trelawney. They had been different because of him.

And Mira couldn't change either of those things.

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**A tad sad… And Mira doesn't even know the half of things!! This chapter coincides with chapter 16 of ****To the Future****, so either go there to read what Trelawney told Ginny in what was actually Mira's second reading or just read that story from the beginning. For those of you joining this story because you've read one or more of the companion stories, you have my undying gratitude.**

**But everyone should remember to review!!**

**-mew-tsubaki**

**P.S. –This chappie is dedicated to oOBlack-SandOo. You not only gave me the first review for this story, but it was the fastest I've gotten a review after posting a new story. Thank, you, thank you, thank you! The next three chapters are yours!**


	3. 3rd Hint

**At the Moment**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

Note: J.K. Rowling's characters are in another companion story to my fics **To the Future**, **From the Past**, and **In the Present**. As usual, there are O.C.s, but duh, because Charlie's with an O.C. Anywho, please enjoy the story and let me know what you think of it in a review. BTW: I don't know how many chapters this'll last, but it will be shorter than the companion stories.

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**The Third Hint**

Tuesday after the big Quidditch game, the atmosphere at Hogwarts was study-crunch time as usual. Morning mail came, and that at least helped to lighten the serious mood.

Mira watched Ginny get a lovely letter and a very pretty violet scarf from her parents, gifts in praise of her Quidditch win. Miraphina didn't receive anything, but she didn't mind. Her parents were busy; her dad was an accountant and her mother ran a pastry shop. Mira would rather they keep things running smoothly at home than always send her little missives or goodies.

The Hufflepuff hugged her boyfriend's arm tighter to her as they ate breakfast at the Gryffindor table. Grant seemed a bit better this morning as opposed to late, but he shook her off as a school owl dropped a letter into his hands.

It was too short to be called a letter; it was more like a note of sorts. Grant read it quickly and read it over at least once more, an inscrutable expression on his face. Mira tried reading it over his shoulder, but he wouldn't let her. She frowned at him, but he didn't even look at her as he stuffed the note into his robes, grabbed his things from the table, and left.

"Grant, where are you going?" Mira called after him. "What's wrong?"

Grant's face was grimly set. He didn't glance at her once as he exited the Great Hall.

That action was level to twisting a knife in her wound. Mira turned back to Ginny and Nigel, blinking back tears. "He probably forgot something," she stated, a little hoarse, but she forced a smile to reassure them, reassure herself.

Ginny grimaced at her, but then the bell rang, and Mira and Ginny had to leave for Charms. Going to that class made the brunette witch sick to her stomach, because Grant shared that class with them, and she knew he'd ignore her then, too.

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It didn't take long at all to realize that Grant was missing. He hadn't shown up to any of their other shared classes to get the opportunity to ignore his best friend and his girlfriend. Between Ginny's and Mira's schedules, Grant was always in one of their classes, so they knew where he wasn't.

At one point, Mira had gone and asked a group of Slytherin boys if they had seen Grant in the dormitories. Only one answered. He said that he had seen Grant packing his things, but this Slytherin said nothing else. Miraphina was sure he didn't know anything else, even if she had pushed further.

Ginny assured her that the teachers would be on alert if something was wrong with Grant. As the teachers weren't in the least bit perturbed, Ginny said that the staff must obviously know, though it bothered her as much as Mira that he hadn't said anything to the two of them.

They made it to Friday with still no sign or word from Grant. Mira was beginning to feel sick from restraining her tears, but she didn't want to break down. She couldn't. Not yet. She'd break down when he would come back, and berate him for leaving like he did. As if the stupid fortune-telling wasn't bad enough!

She felt her ill-tempered mood snaking its dark tendrils out to reach Ginny, though. The redhead's mood almost matched hers, and it was noticeable enough that their friend Mavrick asked Ginny about her melancholy disposition at supper that Friday evening.

"Well, you saw him with that letter a few mornings ago," Ginny reminded Mavrick and Raven. Even Reaves, who usually looked glared at Ginny, seemed to be listening in. "Something's not right, I know it."

Raven scoffed. "Come on. He's a Slytherin. I'm sure you've learned not to trust those snakes in all your wise years, haven't you?"

Those lines were exactly want Miraphina didn't want to hear. "Grant's different!!" Mira yelled at the haughty blonde. "He didn't even _want_ to be in that house, so shut your trap!" And it was true. Despite being a Selwyn, being a pureblood wizard, Grant hadn't wanted to be in Slytherin. He was easily the smartest person in their year, and it was a wonder that he hadn't been sorted into Ravenclaw. But he had told Miraphina before that he chose Slytherin last-minute because he was scared of his family.

Mavrick frowned at his girlfriend. "Even _I_ think that was a bit out of line, Rave. We barely know him."

"That's exactly what I mean!" Raven pointed out. "He's a pureblood, isn't he? Purebloods of the Slytherin House have always thought less of anyone who isn't pureblood. It doesn't even matter if they're in Slytherin House. The feud with Slytherin purebloods and all other non-purebloods is as old as the one between Slytherin and Gryffindor!" Raven tsked. "He probably got tired of hanging out with blood traitors, half-bloods, and muggle-borns."

Miraphina clenched a fist, narrowing her eyes at the blonde. "Do you have a problem with muggle-borns, Crowley?" She almost spat the other girl's surname in her face.

"I _am_ muggle-born, you airhead of a git," Raven snarled.

Instead of amending her words like Miraphina would typically do, the Hufflepuff with the streaks in her bangs merely turned away from the blonde. So what if Raven was muggle-born like her? Nothing excused her bashing Grant just because of his house and his blood. Mira was right; Grant was different.

But how often was she telling herself that now?

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**Short like most of this story's chappies, but good I think. So, is Grant evil? Well, let's not worry about him too much –we get to see Charlie in the next chappie! YAY!!!**

**Review if you love Charlie!!! (Or Mira or me –any three works)**

**-mew-tsubaki :)**


	4. 4th Hint

**At the Moment**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

Note: J.K. Rowling's characters are in another companion story to my fics **To the Future**, **From the Past**, and **In the Present**. As usual, there are O.C.s, but duh, because Charlie's with an O.C. Anywho, please enjoy the story and let me know what you think of it in a review. BTW: I don't know how many chapters this'll last, but it will be shorter than the companion stories.

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**The Fourth Hint**

Saturday brought some enjoyment for everyone, as it was the Valentine's Day trip into Hogsmeade. Mira hastily dressed and made her way outside, where she met Ginny. Hey, she couldn't spend the day with her MIA boyfriend, so she might as well spend it with the person who was pretty much her best friend.

Miraphina was relieved to escape to Hogsmeade for a while. Her stress was building up, and she didn't want it to gain any more momentum if she stayed holed up in the Hufflepuff Common Room. However, Ginny wasn't much fun and something caught the brunette's eye, so she dove into the throng of bodies pouring out of the Hogsmeade branch of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, Ginny's twin brothers' store.

Inside it was another kind of magical world. The gags, jokes, pranks, novelties, baubles, and collectibles lined the walls. Actually, not a speck of wall could be seen behind the items.

"'Anti-Anti-Perspirant'," Mira read aloud from the label on one object. She quirked an eyebrow at the peculiar thing, wondering why there was a need for it. She looked around her, wondering why there was a need for anything there.

_I s'pose it's entirely for the entertainment,_ Mira thought. _Just like these trips into Hogsmeade._

"Trust me, you don't want to touch that," a voice said from behind her. A hand came over her shoulder and pushed her arm down so she didn't touch the red jar on the shelf.

The witch turned and saw Professor Weasley behind her. He surprised her. "What does it do?"

"That one is highly flammable and highly volatile," he said. "I remember Fred and George telling me about this one a little while ago. It's new."

"Are you a jokester like them?" Mira asked with a teasing smirk.

He shook his head. "Nah. That's why I'm the teacher and they're the money-makers." He lifted his eyebrows and chuckled a second later. "I didn't peg you as a jokester, Miss Atherton."

The way he said her name was…interesting. The first word that had come to mind was 'different', but Mira just about despised that word now. "I'm not," she answered when she found her voice. "I'm just…relaxing."

"Not me," he stated. "I came as one of the chaperones. Merlin knows what trouble will happen today. Stupid, bloody holiday."

"And you can say that even though you're holding a peach-colored box with a bow?" she countered, gesturing to the gift tucked under his other arm.

The professor blushed a bit. "Well, it is the holiday of love."

"It's something the greeting card industry invented."

He stared at her. "Someone speaks of it with much vehemence."

Mira looked away, grimacing. "I've never really liked it. It sucks even more when-" She stopped. "Exams are very stressful. I just came out for some fresh air."

"Which you can find plenty of in the winter." Professor Weasley stepped back and looked her up and down. "Whoever he is, he didn't want to come. Wait, you're with Ginny's mate, Selwyn."

She refused to turn back and face him. The last thing she wanted to do was talk about Grant. "Does it really matter?"

He tilted his head to one side ever so slightly. "No, it doesn't. Except when he's ditched his very pretty girl on such a day."

Mira glanced at him then, and he caught her looking at him. He gave her a smile, causing her cheeks to burn a fierce pink. "H-Happy Valentine's, professor," she said, side-stepping him and moving to leave.

"Miss Atherton."

She paused and looked back once more, kinda tempted again by the way he said her name. Mira caught a small heart-shaped hard candy from him.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Miss Atherton," he said with a very charming grin, and he turned to pay for something.

The witch blinked several times very fast. She left the store, her cheeks burning stronger now that she was back out in the cold. That interaction had been very atypical. _I mean, was he cheering me up?_ she thought as she found Mavrick, Raven, Nigel, Benton, and Reaves. They went as a group to find Ginny, but Miraphina's mind was elsewhere. _It almost felt like he flirted with me._ A picture of the gift he carried flashed in her mind. _No, of course he wasn't. He has a girlfriend._

They found Ginny. Mira tapped her shoulder and Ginny nearly jumped out of her shoes at the touch. The redhead turned to see all of her friends.

"Where were you?" the Hufflepuff asked.

Ginny smiled. "I was just looking around," she stated, but her smile seemed fake.

Mavrick exchanged a doubtful glance with Miraphina, but they didn't prod her any more. The group went into the Three Broomsticks, where the gaiety of the holiday and a round of butterbeers seemed to brighten everyone's mood. Except for Reaves. Mira noted that he wasn't really glaring at Ginny like he generally did, but he was staring at her. And it bugged Ginny to the point where she snapped.

"What?" Ginny barked at him, cheeks red from his attention as well as Mira's and the others who had been talking about the end of the Quidditch season.

For once, he spoke. "Nothing," he said flatly, and then he turned his attention to something out the window.

Ginny looked even more uncomfortable with that answer than she had been with his blatant staring problem. Mira sympathized with her. Staring was just… Her mind wandered back to that scene with Ginny's brother. Professor Weasley's gaze was kind of intimidating, too.

And as the day ended and the students made their way back to Hogwarts and Miraphina parted with her friends to head to Hufflepuff territory, something new plagued her. Professor Weasley's gaze was kind of intimidating, too.

But, for the life of her, Mira couldn't place her finger on why.

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**I agree with Mira. Valentine's kinda sucks…but that's why we have fanfiction to get us through the ruddy holiday.**

**Anyway…Charlie. Don't you love him? *fawns***

**Please, please, please review!!!**

**-mew-tsubaki**


	5. 5th Hint

**At the Moment**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

Note: J.K. Rowling's characters are in another companion story to my fics **To the Future**, **From the Past**, and **In the Present**. As usual, there are O.C.s, but duh, because Charlie's with an O.C. Anywho, please enjoy the story and let me know what you think of it in a review. BTW: I don't know how many chapters this'll last, but it will be shorter than the companion stories.

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**The Fifth Hint**

_What a funny girl,_ Charlie thought as he went back to his hut on Valentine's Day. That Miraphina Atherton _was_ very strange; she was bubbly one second, sad and little cold the next, and then blushing in a very girly way, a way he felt she was unaccustomed to.

_Speaking of unaccustomed…_ He looked up to find the door to his hut cracked open. He stepped inside, amazed that Laurel was back so soon. "I thought you weren't going to be back until later tonight."

"It felt okay to be human today," the attractive, russet-haired woman said with a smile. "I did not surprise you?"

"You did," Charlie said. Usually Laurel took more time when her body felt the need to change. She was a were-dragon, after all, and the Tri-Taloned Feather-Wing inside her demanded changes during times other than the new moon. Sometimes she could be gone for days, other times, for hours, but she always came back to him. That was something he had never been unaccustomed to –before Laurel.

"I find it hard to surprise you these days," Laurel stated, letting him draw her near. She met him with a sweet kiss. "Was your day off pleasurable?"

"I wasn't really off today, Laur," he amended. "I was a chaperone, but yes, I enjoyed it." He pulled the gift from behind his back. "Happy Valentine's Day, Laurel."

She opened the package and laughed. "Most women expect jewelry, Charlie. I like this wand sheath better, though."

"It's very Laurel," the Weasley said with a smirk.

"Yes, it is very 'Laurel'."

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Charlie was glad when the rest of February passed without much trouble. While he loved Laurel –they had been together for a little more than three years –he didn't like February being the month of love. It meant too much of men, and reeked of the promises of commitment.

He shuddered at the word.

When March first came around, Ginny traipsed down to Charlie's hut and the two of them spent the day together in remembrance of Ron. It was the youngest Weasley boy's birthday, but he was not alive to celebrate it.

_And all because of the war._

Indeed, the Second Great War had brought heavy losses on the Order of the Phoenix, heavier losses on the Weasley family. Charlie and Laurel had fought alongside Bill and his wife Fleur, but Bill and Fleur were killed. Charlie made it out of there barely with his life, and Laurel had nursed him back to health until Dumbledore approached him with the position of Care for Magical Creatures teacher. Only a few months ago had Charlie talked with Ginny and found out that Percy had died protecting her and Ron, and then Ron…

Apparently when Harry had defeated Voldemort, the veil reappeared, the one that had swallowed Harry's godfather, Sirius Black, two years prior. The veil spoke of an equivalent exchange, and Ron pulled Sirius out so Harry could have some sort of family around. Of course, with the loss of Ron, Ginny also lost Harry, but to Hermione. That began Ginny's hate of Sirius, for stealing another brother but also screwing up her love life.

Charlie didn't blame Sirius, though, and neither did the rest of their family. Ron did what Ron did, through no fault of Sirius's. Charlie hoped that that penetrated Ginny's hate, but he couldn't be sure. His baby sister could really hold a grudge.

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Classes calmed down, too, a bit after February passed, and Charlie was grateful for that. He could handle himself well enough in class, but the teenagers were a handful any other time.

"Merrows are related to merpeople," he stated to his seventh years during a class about halfway through March. It was drizzling for the third time that day, and they were at the edge of the Black Lake.

"And sirens, right?" a student called out.

Charlie nodded. "But sirens are all female, and extremely dangerous. Their seductive voices have led many a sailor and wizard to his death."

"There's no siren for women, then?" somebody else asked.

"No, not like there's the incubus for women and the succubus for men. Anyway," Charlie stated irritably, "merrow scales are in likeness with nixie scales. What do they have in common?"

A hand shot up in the middle. Charlie called on the Hufflepuff, seeing that it was Ginny's friend. "They both have healing properties."

"Yes, indeed, Miss Atherton," he replied. "Merrow scales have healing properties like nixie scales, but that's-"

"-on their own. Mixed with something else, they can be very deadly," Atherton added.

Charlie nodded. "Correct again, Miss Atherton, but please do not interrupt." He turned toward the lake and hummed a low tune, and a fish-like creature broke the water's surface. It had the face of an angelfish but with human proportions; magical and grotesque at the same time. "We'll be collecting two scales each. You'll need them for Potions. Anyone care to explain the process?"

"You give the merrow a piece of kelp to gnaw on first, and then you pluck out the scales near its dorsal fin. It's the only place that won't hurt them," Ginny supplied.

"What do you remove them with?"

"Bronze pinchers," Atherton answered.

"Five points to Hufflepuff, Miss Atherton, for having read very well into this subject," Charlie complimented. "Please take out your bronze pinchers and wait your turn for the merrows. Form six lines please."

The students did as he asked. Luckily, the closest thing to injury today was a Ravenclaw who forgot to give the creature enough kelp, so he was almost bitten. But Charlie restrained the merrow with a spell and the class continued.

Ginny did fine, and her Hufflepuff friend stepped up to the merrow before her. Atherton knelt, broke off six inches of kelp and passed it to the watery creature. The merrow didn't like that at all, though.

Charlie quickly took out a foot of kelp and stuffed it in the merrow's mouth, placating it. "You need to give it at least that much, Miss Atherton."

She humbly plucked the first of two scales. "So much for my five points then, huh?" she asked quietly.

He was taken aback. She really did flip the switch on her emotions. "Miss Atherton, you _are_ smart. You're incredibly well-read. The essay your class did the Hedley Cow last week was hard, but yours possessed information _I_ didn't know existed." Her cheeks pinked in that girly way they had before, and he forced down a laugh. "Don't sell yourself short, Miss Atherton."

Charlie looked from her to Ginny a few meters away. "That's right. One of you is missing. Selwyn went home on family business," he thought aloud. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw –actually, he felt it, too –Atherton tense. _Ah, right. Ginny's mate is her boyfriend._ "Sorry. He'll probably be back soon enough."

"I doubt it," she tersely mumbled. When she realized it had been loud enough for him to hear, she looked up at him. "Sorry, I just… He didn't say anything to me."

"So that really did ruin your Valentine's Day," he commented softly.

The witch gave a tiny jerk of her head that he assumed was a nod. "He didn't ditch his 'very pretty girl on such a day'," Atherton said with an unhappy grin. Charlie supposed it was a smirk at his words, his compliment of her on that holiday, but Atherton changed her mood again. Now she looked crestfallen. "He's just ditched me entirely. And I'm not his, y'know. I'm not owned by anyberdy."

"You're-" He stopped. "Did you just say 'anyberdy'?" This time a small chuckle did escape.

Her cheeks were aflame. "Uh, I just, I have, uh, a cockney accent, really. I just…" She looked like she was searching for the right words.

"Professor Weasley!!" one of the others called.

Charlie stood, squinting into the crowd of seventh years. "I'm sorry, Miss Atherton," he said distractedly. "If you'll excuse me…" He couldn't help feel a bit bad as her expression was saddened again, but he had work to do. All of his students needed his attention.

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As the rest of March and April chugged along, the now eldest Weasley brother saw that Ginny was not the only one who could really hold a grudge. Remus Lupin seemed to have something against Sirius, too, which was strange because those two had always been best mates. But as April dwindled in days and May began, they seemed to be more on edge and arguing whenever they decided to talk with each other.

_It's annoying,_ Charlie thought one night at supper. Remus and Sirius exchanged a few heated words before the werewolf went to his seat away from Charlie and Sirius. The way they were bickering reminded Charlie of his brothers. _More specifically, Bill and me,_ he observed glumly as he bit into a piece of roast chicken. And then his thoughts of the Second Great War came back and haunted him.

It was those times that strained rather than brought him closer to Laurel. She didn't dwell on the past as he did, with the exception of her traumatic experience in which she had been scratched by a Tri-Taloned Feather-Wing. It was the only thing tough about being with Laurel Windmere, but it occasionally grew into a big thing when his thoughts remained on the tragedies of days old.

"Again, Charles?" Laurel snapped as he undressed on that hot, early May night. "Every day it is something that drags you back into the dark recesses of your nightmares."

"I'm a pessimist, sorry I can't help it," he snarkily retorted. He let his hair down –hair he had grown out like Bill's –and conjured a glass of cool water. "Aren't you going to disappear?"

"The new moon was a week and a half ago," she reminded him. She narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm beginning to think that you would like me permanently gone some days."

Charlie sighed. He almost said, "No, Laur, you've got it wrong," but something in his throat kept those words inside him. "The heat's just getting to me," he lied.

"That is bullshit and you know it," she fumed. She kept her perfect English accent no matter what, but he knew when she was angry when she began swearing.

"Then what isn't?"

"I think you would prefer to be stuck in your classes all day long, losing yourself in your work, not having to push away the things that remind you of your bad memories."

He stumbled towards her, wiping the beads of sweat off his chest. "_What_? Where the hell is that coming from? You know how bad my days can be with those kids!"

"Not all of them are kids, Charles," Laurel muttered coolly.

Charlie dropped his glass at her insinuation. "You think I've got the hots for some female _student_?!"

"You are always hovering around one in particular, Charles."

"Who?!"

"That Hufflepuff. The very shapely one who looks like a shrimp next to you. At least I am almost your height."

He slapped his forehead in frustration. "Let me get this straight: You think I have a crush on Miraphina Atherton, one of my baby sister's best friends? She's seventeen, for heaven's sake!!"

"So? Does age really make a difference? My parents had fifteen years between them. I recall Dumbledore and McGonagall have a few decades between them, as he's over two hundred. Lupin is older than his wife by many years, as well. I hardly believe that nine years would stop a man."

"Stop it! Listen to yourself!" Charlie tugged on her arms to get her to sit down, but she refused. "Where's this jealousy coming from?"

"Where are we going, Charlie?" she asked in a quiet voice. "We have been together for a few years now and things have always felt right. We agreed that it must be my animal instinct telling us that we are love-mates, like the mates werewolves find for each other. But I want to know where you see us."

"You mean…like when we'll be more than just the two of us?" he asked hoarsely.

Laurel nodded. "I thought I would never live a normal life with what I am, with the scars marring the front of my body. But then I met you, Charlie. I thought I had found acceptance and chance. A chance for life, love, and a family."

_Oh, god, _he thought, shaken to the core. This family business… He wasn't sure he was ready for that. Yes, he was twenty-six, but… He supposed that he might have been a loner on the Dragon Plains for too long, but he felt inside him for the right answer. And Charlie knew it, but he didn't want to tell her.

He felt that starting a family with her was not right.

"Laur…," he began, but she left before he could say anything else. He was glad for the peace and quiet, though. He needed it. His thoughts drifted to his family, to Ginny, then unfortunately to her friend Miraphina. But he knew that Atherton was not the root of this argument; it was a problem Laurel had been bugging him about since he took this job at Hogwarts. First, she had been nagging him about meeting his family. Then it had been about not spending enough time together (which he thought ridiculous because he was always with her when not in class, and she sometimes became a dragon _for_ his classes). Now it was baby issues.

But he knew he had to stick it out, because he loved Laurel. Right?

He loved her. …So why was it getting harder to believe that?

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**A CHARLIE CHAPTER!!! How awesome is that? …Okay, again, a bit sad, considering what I threw at Charlie and the Weasley family altogether, but 6 will be cute. Kinda fluffy. Or not, if you see that it's more sexual tension than anything else.**

**And don't forget to REVIEW!!!! (Come on, you know you love Charlie at least)**

**Thank you!**

**-mew-tsubaki**

**P.S. –Another dedication goes to o0Black-Sand0o. Love your reviews, Black-Sand! In fact, you get this chapter, plus four more!! BUT EVERYONE SHOULD REVIEW!!! 'cuz I'm holding onto 10 until someone ransoms it (and it's a REALLY good chappie, guys!)!!!! Now GO READ!!! AND REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**


	6. 6th Hint

**At the Moment**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

Note: J.K. Rowling's characters are in another companion story to my fics **To the Future**, **From the Past**, and **In the Present**. As usual, there are O.C.s, but duh, because Charlie's with an O.C. Anywho, please enjoy the story and let me know what you think of it in a review. BTW: I don't know how many chapters this'll last, but it will be shorter than the companion stories.

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**The Sixth Hint**

Now in May, Mira had given up on Grant. Well, she told Ginny and the others that she had not given up, but Miraphina knew that she and Grant had been over before he left to go home on 'family business' as Professor Weasley had said.

_And so much for that stupid fortune-telling,_ she thought bitterly as she and Ginny made their way into Professor Black's classroom for Defense Against the Dark Arts. _Where's that awful man with blue eyes who's meant to sweep me off my feet? Well? Now that Grant's gone, isn't _something_ supposed to go right?_

It was hard to not cry as Professor Black passed around some handouts. He was out-of-sorts, the way his voice was louder, angrier than normal. Mira wondered why everyone's personalities were changing as he scrawled words on the blackboard.

Mira jotted down the notes until Ginny distracted her. At first, she ignored it, but then Ginny's whispers were urgent.

"Mira, I need to tell you something."

The curvy brunette paused in her note-taking and glanced sideways. "Now? In the middle of class?" she inquired in undertones.

"Honestly, I think I should have mentioned it a while back," Ginny murmured.

The Hufflepuff frowned. "Can't it wait?"

"Mira, I think that maybe –"

"Do you think it's okay to interrupt class?" Professor Black bellowed from the head of the class. His hand was still poised on the board with the chalk, and his back still faced the class. When neither Ginny nor Miraphina answered, he called on them. "Well, Miss Atherton? Miss Weasley? Is it all right to disturb class?"

Ginny grimaced. "We didn't mean any harm, professor."

The teacher turned around, eyes closed, and pinched the bridge of his nose in an effort to calm himself. "There's no talking unless called upon," he reminded them.

"It was my fault-," Mira began. She just wanted this to be calmly resolved; he was already angry for some other reason. If taking the blame would help, then she'd take the blame.

"No, I felt the need to tell her something," Ginny cut in, putting an arm in front of her friend. "I'm sorry, professor. It won't happen again."

"But I was talking with you!" Mira stated. However, she felt that this was going to end badly.

"Just shut up," Ginny told her.

"If you had just told me what you had to say from the beginning, then-" the Hufflepuff hissed.

"I said, 'shut up'!"

"BOTH OF YOU!" Professor Black yelled. The class was stunned into silence. He didn't notice. "Both of you, shut up! Weasley! Atherton! Detention, right here in this room after supper! Scratch that –you can miss supper and come straight here after your last class! Is that understood?" He finally let his eyes fly open, but Mira had expected to feel his furious gaze on her, as well. In reality, she saw him looking straight at Ginny, who glowered right back.

He turned back to the board and carried on as if nothing had happened. Of course, something _had_. Something big. The professor had been frustrated with students before, but he had never yelled at someone like that, not at any point in the entire school year. He had always been the easy-going teacher.

_And now I have detention,_ Mira thought in shock. _Me. Detention!!_ She slid a glare to Ginny, not caring if the redhead broke her gaze with their D.A.D.A. teacher to return the favor. People were changing, all right, but Mira hated that she was one of them.

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Miraphina didn't speak to Ginny at all during History of Magic or Care for Magical Creatures. She was too angry about her first detention ever. _I've _always_ been the good, responsible one!_ the Hufflepuff reminded herself while catching firefaeries. "Damn it!!" she cursed when one singed her hand.

"Are you okay, Miraphina?" her fellow Hufflepuff, Dana Stanley, asked. She brushed some greasy, blue-black hair behind an ear.

"Weren't you listening to the professor when he said to catch them by their crowns?" her other fellow Hufflepuff, Cirdrine Foigeur, inquired. Her big dimples faded as she frowned.

Mira looked at her friends. "It's nothing. My mind was elsewhere, that's all."

"We haven't seen much of you," the stout Cirdrine said, her blonde bob bouncing as she knelt for one of the firefaeries. "You spend all your time with Weasley and her friends."

"And now look where she landed you," Dana pointed out. "You've never even had a teacher raise their voice to you!!"

"Dana, Drina, let it go," Mira pleaded. She knew she'd let it go at some point, but it would be easier to do that if there wasn't anyone who wanted her to keep holding onto the grudge she was quickly building.

"Whatever," Dana mumbled.

"Do you still want to hang out?" Cirdrine asked after an uncomfortable silent minute. "Maybe we could watch _Love Actually_. It's not Christmas, but it's one of our favorites."

Mira frowned. "Guys, I think I want to be alone right now."

"We're in the Forbidden Forest hunting for firefaeries," Dana pointed out. "Professor Weasley said groups of three."

"Then I'm going on ahead," the brunette threw back, and she did stalk deeper into the foliage. She found a nest of firefaeries and picked them, placing them in the unicorn-hair sack. They squealed, but she kept stuffing them in the bag. She needed to vent somehow. But a hand came over her shoulder and stopped her arm.

"Whoa, there," Professor Weasley said softly. "I wanted you to catch them, not kill them.

Mira released the firefaerie in her hand and watched it fly away. Then she turned on him. "I was just doing the given assignment."

"There's no need to snap," he said. He jerked a thumb behind him. "Your friends Stanley and Foigeur told me you went on ahead. I recall telling all of you to stay in your groups," he added with raised eyebrows.

Her cheeks flushed at her blatant disobedience. "…I'm sorry, professor. It won't happen again, professor." She felt his eyes on her, but neither of them said anything.

Finally he broke. "Okay, walk with me." Weasley strode ahead and she had to struggle to keep up with his long stride. He was much taller than her; she felt like a dwarf next to him…

Mira's heart nearly stopped.

She was dwarfed by his height.

He was near her, here at Hogwarts.

He had the tattoos and scars from the Dragon Plains.

He held a position of authority; he was a teacher.

And he had brilliant blue eyes…

_He can't be,_ Miraphina thought as she glanced at his profile. But everything about Trelawney's reading told her that he was it, that Charlie was _that_ man. _No, it can't be. Of course it isn't him…_

"Professor…?" she prompted, still looking at him.

Weasley stopped by a big tree, one that looked like a cross between a redwood and an oak. He sat down and patted the grass beside him. "Sit with me."

She blinked at him, but did so anyway, smoothing her skirt over her bum as she carefully sat on the earthen floor. "Why did you…?"

"You look like you could use a friend," he said, locking eyes with her. Yes, there were those brilliant blue eyes…

"Professor, I-"

"You may call me 'Charlie' right now, Miss Atherton, as we are speaking on informal terms," he stated.

Mira forced down the odd feeling to giddily smile. "So I'm 'Miraphina', then."

He nodded. "Something's been bothering you," he said. "And it seems to be affecting your work."

"I thought this was on informal terms," she pointed out.

"Yes and no. I thought you should know that your class work has had its ups and downs since… Well, since Selwyn's absence. You shouldn't let him get to you like that."

Miraphina glared at him. "I'd been dating him for about three months before that, so yeah, sorry if his sudden absence affects me in any way."

"Miraphina, I didn't mean harm," Charlie amended. Merlin, the way he said her name… If it had been oddly pleasant hearing him say 'Miss Atherton', it was extremely exciting to hear her first name come out of his mouth, especially in his voice.

"I'm sorry. I guess you're kind of right…" She brushed her long hair back and then brought it over one shoulder to play with it. She looped her fingers through the waves that only the ends of her hair possessed. "It wasn't just his disappearance. He had been…_uninterested_ for a little while before he got that missive calling him home."

"'Missive', huh? Nice word choice," he said with a teasing smirk.

She shoved him. "Shut it. I'm 'well-read', remember?" Mira sighed and looked at her skirt. "I've the feeling that things are over, like they were meant to be…"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Charlie asked.

Mira blinked, knowing that she couldn't possibly tell him about what Trelawney had said. Regardless of whether the Divination teacher had been right, Mira didn't want to say that it related to him. He was her teacher, for crying out loud, and her best friend's brother at that! "It's nothing. I was just kind of tossed a red herring."

He quirked an eyebrow. "Again, interesting word choice."

She laughed, partially relieved. "Yeah… I love reading mysteries, so… I love reading in general. That reminds me –you were reading right before the last Quidditch game started." She looked at him. "Why is that?"

"Guilty," Charlie answered, shrugging. "I love reading in general, too."

Mira shoved him again. "You can't spout back my answers at me!"

He laughed, a laugh that was melodious though she had never taken the time to realize it before. "I can do whatever I want! I'm the teacher, remember?"

"And I thought we were friends, remember?" she asked sarcastically.

"Miraphina, everything will be all right when Selwyn comes back. In fact, you should make it right before he does, that way he feels welcome again."

"I don't want to. Nothing's right, Charlie," she said in a small voice. Mira closed her eyes, exhaled, and leaned the back of her head on the tree trunk. "I know that things have changed."

She could sense him nodding. "You're right. You have a big brother now."

Mira opened her eyes. "I don't want you as my big brother." She paused. "I mean," she fumbled, "I don't need a big brother."

Charlie looked at her, something unreadable in his eyes. "But you do need a friend."

She quieted at that. She couldn't trust herself not to mention Trelawney's reading.

"What happened with you and Ginny? You've been cold to each other all of class."

"Oh, she just got me a detention in Professor Black's class for talking." Mira grimaced. "It's my first detention," she added venomously.

Charlie chuckled. "And I thought _Gin _was scary." He sighed and stretched. "Look, you'll forgive her soon and a detention's not so bad."

"You sound like you speak from experience."

"Yeah, kind of." He stood and extended a hand for her.

Mira took it, but there was an electricity between them. She stopped mid-crouch, afraid to look anywhere but at their clasped hands. She couldn't tear her eyes from that weathered hand that fit hers perfectly, that held hers so gently in a way she knew she was always safe, would always be able to relax with him. But she knew she had to look up at him at some point.

When she did, he locked eyes with her. His brilliant, ocean blue eyes bore into her pale, celadon green ones, and neither of them blinked as she rose from her crouch. Even standing at full height, she was more than a head shorter than him –_one and a quarter_, Mira noted, remembering how specific Trelawney had been. Looking up into his eyes, him looking down into hers… If the breath had not been knocked out of her by this electricity between them, a shiver would've slowly crawled down her spine.

Charlie tugged her hand to him, though she was already standing. She was close enough to him now that anything could happen. Their eyes were not breaking contact, and nothing was being said. Anything could happen.

As it turned out, nothing could happen, too. Just as quickly as what had taken place, it was gone when Charlie looked away. "You ready to face the world again, Miraphina?"

Her heart did somersaults in her chest at her name again, but she stilled when he released her hand. "Yes, Professor Weasley. I'm fine now."

He did a double-take when she didn't call him by his first name. Charlie's cheeks flushed, though he seemed unhappy that she had gone back to 'Professor Weasley' so soon. "Catch a few more firefaeries, then we'll call it a day."

Something inside her made her look at him one more time. That look prevented him from straying too far. Even when Mira rejoined Dana and Cirdrine, he was not far behind.

He was always near.

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**SQUEEE!!!! CHARLIEPHINA!!!! *cough* Sorry. By the way, anyone notice something between Ginny and Sirius? Heh. Go to chapter 17 of ****To the Future**** to read what got Ginny and Miraphina detention. Ooh, lovely, lovely….**

**AND REVIEW!!!**

**-mew-tsubaki**


	7. 7th Hint

**At the Moment**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

Note: J.K. Rowling's characters are in another companion story to my fics **To the Future**, **From the Past**, and **In the Present**. As usual, there are O.C.s, but duh, because Charlie's with an O.C. Anywho, please enjoy the story and let me know what you think of it in a review. BTW: I don't know how many chapters this'll last, but it will be shorter than the companion stories.

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**The Seventh Hint**

It wouldn't leave her brain.

That interaction with Charlie had set some indiscernible thing off inside Mira, and again, she knew she was changing. She'd never be the same Miraphina again. But her emotions raged, and she wasn't sure she minded not being the old Mira.

At supper, she peeked in to remind Dana and Cirdrine that she had to go see Professor Black for detention, but her mind was elsewhere. Her eyes drifted to the staff table a few times during her brief chat with her friends, one time in which she met Charlie's eyes again. He noticed her, and quickly looked away, but her feelings weren't hurt. Things were becoming right again. But this time, they were right how they should be forever.

_An improper and inconvenient time, right? _Mira recounted from the reading. She sighed as she approached Professor Black's classroom. Mira saw Ginny outside the door and they glared at each other just as their teacher appeared, and the three of them went inside.

_**WHAM!**_

"Don't drop your things on your desk," Professor Black stated to the redheaded witch. He watched as Ginny glared at him, but he ignored it.

Meanwhile, Miraphina yanked on Ginny's sleeve. "Ginny! Try not to make Professor Black angrier than he already is." The last thing Mira wanted was another detention, but something flitted across her friend's face. She studied Ginny's face before the redhead turned away. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Ginny snapped, and she sat down, putting a seat between Mira and herself.

Mira felt affronted. "Well!" she huffed, and she plopped down in her chair.

"Stop talking," Black ordered. "And I didn't say either of you could sit." Mira immediately rose, but Ginny cupped her cheek in her palm, deciding to stare out the window than pay attention to them. He glared at Ginny, but left her alone. He turned to Miraphina. "Miss Atherton, if you would be so kind as to run to my office down the hall and grab the stack of papers in the middle of my desk." Black tossed her a key to his office. "Don't actually run, though."

"Yes, sir," Mira answered. She walked out of the classroom, glad to get away from those two. Ginny was being a bitch again, and Mira didn't feel like getting caught up in what she was sure would turn into another staring match between the Weasley daughter and their Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.

The brunette took her time getting to Professor Black's office. The papers were in the middle of his desk as he had said, and Mira locked the office back up when she was done. She dreaded going back to his classroom, but she ventured there anyhow. She stopped when she heard voices talking inside the room.

"Nothing's wrong, but everything might look better if you kiss me." That sounded like Ginny's voice. But Mira shook her head. The only other person that had been in that room was Black. _It can't be him, right?_ the Hufflepuff asked herself.

But the voice of the answer was certainly Professor Black's. "That can be arranged," he replied.

Mira cracked open the door a bit and gasped loud enough that she was surprised they hadn't heard her. It was Ginny and Black all right, and they were kissing _very_ passionately. Mira was confused on a few levels: first, he was their teacher; second, he was a lot older than them; and third, Mira remembered Ginny saying one of her brothers was dead because he had rescued Black –So why was she kissing this older teacher that Mira thought Ginny despised so much?!

But at the same time Mira had gasped, footsteps to her left had stopped. She turned and saw in horror for Ginny that Charlie was standing a few feet away. The look on his face was questioning. It was obvious that he wondered why she was at the door, staring at him.

Their eyes locked like they had earlier in the day, and Mira suddenly forgave Ginny for everything, because she knew Ginny was going to get it when Charlie saw her and Black making out. But at that thought, Mira couldn't shake something else:

She was picturing herself in Charlie's arms, kissing him the way Ginny was kissing Professor Black.

She could see him towering over her, his lips crushing hers, their breaths one. Worst of all, she wanted it so badly that it was painful to remain frozen where she was. Truly worst of all, she didn't see that line of thought flicker through Charlie's eyes.

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**Rewind to about thirty seconds ago…**

Charlie had reached the floor where Sirius's classroom was. The now-eldest Weasley boy (if he can still be called that) turned the small packet over in his hand. "I can't believe this," he muttered to himself. "Only _now_ does Mum do her spring cleaning and she finds that she never gave Sirius his Christmas present. Why the bloody hell do I have to deliver this?"

A gasp ahead of him forced Charlie's attention to something outside of his own ponderings and he stopped. His eyes met Miraphina Atherton's and his mind briefly flashed to the chemistry that had occurred between them earlier that day, but she looked like she was in the early stages of choking, considering how beet red she was. She was standing in front of the doors to Sirius's classroom.

Charlie pushed his time with Miraphina earlier out of his mind. "Miss Atherton? What are you doing here?" he asked the Hufflepuff.

"I- uh-" She seemed to be choking on her words. "I have detention with Professor Black," she finally stated.

"So why are you still out here in the hall?"

"Um, he sent me to fetch something from his office," she replied.

He nodded. "I can see that you've procured what he needed, so go on in, Miss Atherton."

"Well, I-"

"I'll come in with you," Charlie offered, stepping closer to the doors. Now he was standing beside her; he kept himself just out of reach, though, because he wasn't sure what it was that had happened between the two of them, though he denied he liked it. He held up a package for her to see. "I have to give him something myself." And then he swung the doors open.

_That_ caught Ginny and Sirius's attention. But that didn't compute with Charlie. Why was she with Sirius? And why like…? They were frozen, Sirius's arms around her waist and Ginny's fingers entwined in his hair.

Charlie felt his blood boil. His nostrils flared. He inhaled and prepared to scream at them. What had happened to Ginny hating this man so much that she wished him dead?! And what the hell was Black doing touching his sister in such an intimate way?!!

But the sound of footsteps brought his attention to Minerva McGonagall. The witch was running as fast as she could in her billowing green and black robes. Worry was evident in her eyes. She was out of breath when she reached Charlie.

"Minerva? What's wrong?" he asked her, glad he could focus on something other than killing Sirius Black.

"Have you seen Remus, Charlie?" she asked, practically ignoring Miraphina's presence. She clutched his arm for support as she tried to regain her breath.

Charlie shook his head just as Sirius came out of his classroom. Apparently, Ginny and Sirius had detached themselves the moment Charlie had turned his head, and Sirius had just heard Minerva ask about Remus.

Minerva saw Sirius appear beside Charlie. "Sirius, have you seen Remus?"

Sirius's brow furrowed. "No, I haven't. Why?"

"It's- It's Tonks," she spluttered, tears pooling in her eyes. "She's suffering a miscarriage as we speak."

Charlie's jaw dropped and Ginny gasped from just inside the room. Sirius, however, clenched his jaw. "And no one's seen him?"

"Not since earlier this evening, no."

"This evening, you say? Well, what does the sky look like?"

Realization dawned in her eyes. "Oh. Well, it's cloudy tonight. We can't see the moon or a single star."

Sirius side-stepped the Transfiguration teacher and marched to the other side of the corridor and gazed out the window. Right then, a few clouds parted, enough to see the moon. The full moon.

A far off howl echoed at the foot of the mountains.

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**Drama aside, anyone surprised by Ginrius? No? Yes? Let me know in a review. Oh, and 8's kinda a Charlie chapter, and it's…good.**

**Meh, you'll understand when you read it.**

**-mew-tsubaki**


	8. 8th Hint

**At the Moment**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

Note: J.K. Rowling's characters are in another companion story to my fics **To the Future**, **From the Past**, and **In the Present**. As usual, there are O.C.s, but duh, because Charlie's with an O.C. Anywho, please enjoy the story and let me know what you think of it in a review. BTW: I don't know how many chapters this'll last, but it will be shorter than the companion stories.

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**The Eighth Hint**

Another blood-curdling howl pierced the night.

Sirius turned back to the others. "I take it that Tonks is already at St. Mungo's, then," he said to Minerva.

She nodded. "Her parents are there with her. Molly and Arthur are on their way, too. Since Remus is her husband and you're a cousin, we figured both of you should be there."

The wizard grimaced. "Yes… Obviously, Dumbledore can't leave, but you should go now if you plan on being there, Minerva."

McGonagall nodded again and disappeared down the hall. Charlie was still dumbfounded, but Ginny looked at Sirius.

"Tonks is like family," Ginny told him. "I want to be there for her."

Charlie snapped back to reality, coming back from the thoughts of who his little sister was with and what was happening to a close family friend. "Should you really go?"

"I'm sure Dumbledore will understand if you escort Ginny there," Sirius told him, though Charlie didn't like taking suggestions from this sack of crap. "You should take the Floo Network, if you can."

Ginny nodded and Charlie took her hand. "Are you coming?" Charlie asked Sirius, though he wished he'd say no.

"I'll catch up with all of you later," Sirius yelled behind him as he ran down the hall.

"Where are you going?" Ginny hollered.

"To get Remus!!" The faster he ran, the more his body shifted until he was a black dog with matted fur. He turned a corner and disappeared from sight.

Charlie yanked on her hand to make her look at him. "We have to get going, Gin." He looked past her shoulder. "Atherton, if you could go and eat supper and not mention anything –about either situation –" he stated pointedly, "-I would appreciate it."

Miraphina nodded and then the two Weasleys were off.

"You're angry, aren't you?" Ginny asked her brother as they entered McGonagall's office and rushed to the fireplace.

Charlie grabbed a handful of Floo powder and waited until Ginny had her own. "Now's not the time or the place, Gin," was all he said.

Sullen, the witch stepped into the fireplace and dropped the powder. "St. Mungo's Hospital!!"

A second later, Ginny was on the floor of St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies. Charlie came up behind her, and the two rushed to where McGonagall was waiting beside the main desk. Then the three were off into the labyrinth of corridors.

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Right as Ginny and Charlie had left, Ginny had looked back at Mira. The Hufflepuff took the chance to mouth 'I'm sorry.' She knew Ginny understood. Maybe if Charlie had not seen her standing there, gawking at Ginny and Professor Black inside, then maybe Ginny's relationship would still be secret. Forbidden, but a secret.

Miraphina returned to the Hufflepuff girls' dormitories and headed to her four-poster. She changed into her nightgown and sat on the edge of her bed. So much…_too_ much had happened today. A Nestle Crunch bar entered her line of vision, and she looked up to see Dana and Cirdrine smiling at her with more candy bars.

"I heard you missed dinner, my good fellow," Dana said with a smirk.

"Who wants a sugar rush before bed?" Drina supplied, and she laughed with Dana.

The laughter was what finally broke the dam. Mira couldn't control it any more. She had to cry. Over Ginny, over Ginny and Black, over Ginny's family friend whom she didn't even know, over Grant –

And most of all, over Charlie.

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It was hours before Charlie saw Sirius and a human Remus step onto the floor of the Maternity Emergency Ward.

"We've been waiting all night long," Charlie stated as he led them to the others. "Where have you been?"

"Being a werewolf wasn't a choice, Charlie," Remus simply told him. No heat, no sadness. He said it with simple indifference.

They approached a narrow hallway, with a few chairs occupying both sides of it. Molly, Arthur, and Minerva were standing a few meters away from some room, and Ginny was sitting uncomfortably in one of the chairs. The three adults rushed Remus.

"She's in good hands," Minerva told him. "They're doing their best to take care of her."

"How bad is it?" Remus inquired. A scream shook all of them to their bones.

Molly forced a smile. "She's still going through this miscarriage. It began last night."

Sirius's expression was as shocked as the others' had been. "She's _still_-?! How can that be possible?!"

"It's the lycanthropy," Remus offered. "I'm surprised she's even made it through her first term."

Minerva nodded. "Lycanthropy is only transmitted through scratches and bites. I don't think I've ever heard of a child born a werewolf."

Remus rolled his shoulders in his anxiety. He sat down a seat over from Ginny. "The lycan blood isn't an allele or any other part of a chromosome. It's essentially a virus that attaches itself _to_ the person's existing chromosomes. Their DNA is…_mutated_ in a way. This mutation curses them with the need to change form in the full moon's light. The radiation from the sun's UV rays during the day is too much, and the moon's reflected light during its other stages isn't enough to cause a reaction, but the amount of radiation from the full moon's reflection of the sun's light is the correct amount to irritate the virus into action. We become wolves simply because that was the other part of the virus's gift; we were handed a bit of wolf DNA alongside the virus."

Ginny, Charlie, Sirius, Molly, and Arthur were overwhelmed with this intricate information. Who knew magic attacked in such a way?

Minerva pursed her lips. "The fetus is still developing even by the end of the first term, but it's obviously closer to what a newborn looks like than earlier in the term, and the fetus has already developed its major organs. In a sense, this young child might have begun to change if it truly received Remus's lycanthropy-infected genes and was developed enough."

"No wonder she's screaming," Ginny murmured, and then gulped.

There was another screech, and then the hall was filled with the average hubbub of a hospital. Remus looked at the doorway to what the others had told him and Sirius was Tonks's room. "I thought I was hard of hearing when she told me she was pregnant," Mooney said with a sad smile.

A doctor emerged from the room, and everyone was on their feet. Remus stepped forward. "You're Mrs. Lupin's husband, I presume?"

Remus nodded. "Is she all right?"

"See for yourself." The doctor led him away from the rest of the gang and into Tonks's room. The others would wait until the O.K. was given.

Sirius sat down in one of the chairs. He sighed and rubbed his eyes, moving on to pinch the bridge of his nose in exhaustion. He looked up and saw Arthur.

"You all right, Sirius?" he asked.

Charlie watched the Animagus look down at his dingy clothes. "Well, it could've been worse, but he didn't kill me. More importantly, he didn't scratch me."

Arthur clasped Sirius on the arm. "That's good."

Sirius half-smiled. "I s'pose…" Arthur nodded and moved away, and Sirius closed his eyes and leaned his head back on the white-washed wall. Ginny sat beside him, much to Charlie's dismay, and she poked Sirius in the arm.

"Were you fighting this whole time?" she asked. Her blues eyes were glassy.

"Well, I misplaced him for a few hours, but…yes." Sirius said something else that Charlie couldn't hear, and then he stood up, slightly wincing as blood rushed to his brain, and he stretched his arms and legs a bit. "See? I'm fine."

But she wasn't looking at him –rather, where his head had been. "You idiot," she breathed. "That's blood!"

His eyes followed to where she pointed at the wall. It was true; there was an oddly-shaped blotch of blood where he had rested. He involuntarily raised his arm and began to reach around to the back of his head. "But, he didn't scratch me…"

Ginny came to his side and peered at his injury. A hearty gasp escaped her lips. "_Merlin_, Sirius!! It's as if the skin back here was sheered off!!"

"I- Wha-?" He blinked several times in rapid succession, and the others turned their attention to them at the sound of Ginny's worry.

"What's wrong?" Molly asked her daughter.

Ginny hadn't torn her eyes off Sirius. "It's Sirius. He's hurt."

"No, I'm fine. I-" Sirius sucked in a breath and winced painfully when Ginny touched his head near the wound. He started to drop as if his legs had given out, but Ginny and Charlie caught him.

"Sirius!!"

"Okay, maybe not that fine…" Sirius feigned a wry grin. "But it's probably nothing."

"Nothing, my foot," Minerva spat. "You probably have a concussion. How did this happen?"

"He dropped me and I hit my head on a stone."

"_Dropped_ you?"

"He was still transformed. He didn't know that he was holding me by my neck-"

"You idiot!!" Ginny told him. "You said to Charlie and me that you were going to get Lupin. Do you have any brains?!"

"Well, if none have leaked out the back…" His attempt at humor earned him nothing but smoldering looks from each of them.

"How I miss the days of handing you detention," Minerva hissed.

"We need to have him seen to, though," Arthur pointed out.

Ginny glared angrily at Sirius. "Yes. We do." She grasped his sleeve at the shoulder and shoved him back down in his seat. "No more making us worry, you dolt." Although she tried to pour venom into that last remark, the tears were pooling in her eyes, and she subtly wiped them away.

Charlie didn't like how Ginny's hatred toward Sirius had suddenly –how he despised the idea –become love. Luckily, their parents exchanged a fleeting, speculative glance.

_Ah, yes,_ Charlie observed. _They noticed something's up._

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Sirius walked back to the corridor where the others were after being patched up, covering his new bald spot with his hand. He forced a smile.

Ginny came up to him. "How was it?"

"Nasty old broad fixed everything but my hair," he stated through gritted teeth.

Molly rolled her eyes in a very Ginny-ish way. "Come here, darling. I've fixed more bald spots and missing eyebrows than one needs to in a lifetime."

Sirius stood still as Molly got her wand out. Meanwhile, he looked at Charlie and Ginny. Charlie shook his head. "Twins," Charlie and Ginny said in unison.

Afterwards, Remus emerged from Tonks's room, and Tonks's parents went back inside. Remus walked like a statue towards the group.

"How is she?" Charlie asked, but the awful feeling in his gut told him that this was probably the worst night of Lupin's life, maybe second to his being scratched by the werewolf Fenrir Greyback.

Remus smiled, but it was a fake one. "She survived. The fetuses…"

"Wait," Sirius cut in. "It _was_ twins?"

He nodded. "They didn't survive. As Minerva suspected, they had started to transform. It almost tore Dora apart." He squinted to keep from crying. Remus inhaled and leaned on Minerva's shoulder when she offered it. He didn't say anything else.

In time and turn, the others visited with Tonks when she was ready. She looked like she had been through hell about three hundred times, but at least she was conscious. Her parents, Ted and Andromeda, stayed at her side the entire time. It helped Tonks some, but her skin was white, her hair was dark brown, and her eyes were the saddest things Charlie had ever seen in his life.

When Charlie exited the Hospital and took Ginny back to Hogwarts, he felt that he didn't want to go to his hut. However, the hut that had previously been Hagrid's was dark. Laurel was not home.

_Of course she isn't,_ the Weasley brother told himself. May was their worst month by far. Not a day went by that they didn't argue. And now, _now_ Miraphina was part of the equation.

When that thought hit him, he froze in front of his door.

_No, that can't be right. She's one of my students. She's Ginny's age, for heaven's sake. I just think of her like a…like a kid sister! That's right!_ But he knew he couldn't fool himself as he draped his robes on the back of a chair.

Their hands joined together was like nothing he had ever felt before. The look in her eyes when his body had acted of its own accord and tugged her closer to him –he had never seen that before, not even in Laurel. And the look on her face when she told him she didn't want him as brother and then she corrected that, saying that she didn't need a big brother –that screamed volumes to him.

_But…_ His resolve grew weaker as he sank into the big chair in front of the fireplace. Yes, he had seen Miraphina a few times outside of class, and yes, he spent most of her class time with her, speaking to her, but… _But that doesn't mean she adds in in this situation._

Yet, even as he tried to convince himself of that, all he could think of was their hands together. And as he thought back on seeing Sirius's arms on Ginny's waist and Ginny's fingers in Sirius's hair-

All Charlie could picture was him and Miraphina instead.

He saw Miraphina loosing the blue ribbon his used to tie back his hair, he saw himself kissing her neck and jaw before finally stealing her breath away with his lips. Worst of all, he wanted it so badly that it was painful to sit still and wait for Laurel to come back when it wasn't Laurel he wanted.

Truly worst of all, he was unsure if Miraphina had realized the chemistry, the rightness between her and him. And it pained him.

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**Charliephina happened quick, dinnit (as Mira would say; you'll get it once you read chapter 10)? Anywho, yes, I did what I did to Remus and Tonks, but there's a reason…and a whole story about it in ****In the Present****, my RemusxLuna fanfiction. So go read that and the Ginrius story!!**

**Go on!! Read and review!! Those of you who've read my stuff a lot know how much I love feedback, especially the detailed stuff, so let me know what you think!**

**-mew-tsubaki**


	9. 9th Hint

**At the Moment**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

Note: J.K. Rowling's characters are in another companion story to my fics **To the Future**, **From the Past**, and **In the Present**. As usual, there are O.C.s, but duh, because Charlie's with an O.C. Anywho, please enjoy the story and let me know what you think of it in a review. BTW: I don't know how many chapters this'll last, but it will be shorter than the companion stories.

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**The Ninth Hint**

A surprise awaited Charlie the next morning in the form of Remus. The Weasley brother had just finished cleaning up his hut after venting to Laurel about the discovery of Ginny and Sirius. …Yeah. Some things were broken.

He saw Remus waiting for him on the crest of the hill overlooking Charlie's hut and the edge of the Forbidden Forest. The Creatures teacher jogged up to meet the D.A.D.A. professor. "What's up?" he asked.

Remus gave him a strained smile. "I was wondering if you wouldn't mind switching seats with me at the staff table."

Charlie blinked, but then he remembered that that bastard Black was on one of his sides. The redhead grimaced. "Go right ahead, Remus." He looked at the werewolf. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm not, really. Thank you, Charlie," Remus muttered, and he turned and went on to breakfast without him.

It gave Charlie some time to think, though. An instinct had basically confirmed last night that there was something between Miraphina and him. He both loved it and disliked it. If this was something good, it couldn't have come at a worse time. If this was merely a distraction, it couldn't have come at a worse time. It was a lose-lose situation.

_Especially with Laur biting my head off all the time,_ he thought as he sat down in the Great Hall to eat breakfast. Yes, Laurel had listened to him rant that morning about Ginny and Sirius and she had watched him throw a few things, but she hadn't been very comforting during the whole scenario. And that was exactly what Charlie needed right now.

_That and a clear definition of Miraphina._ He finished his meal and went to leave when something else tempted him. He left the Great Hall by way of the path near Sirius, not resisting the urge to shove the teacher right as he went to bite into his eggs. Black had most certainly chomped down on his tongue, and Charlie smirked.

"What?!" Sirius spat at him.

Charlie glared at the Animagus. "You're despicable."

The other wizard calmed down. "I'm not one to force people, Charles. Ginny _did_ hate me for a time." He studied the Weasley boy for a minute. "You haven't told anyone," he gathered.

"You forgot to add 'yet' to the end of your sentence, Black," Charlie shot back, heat dusting his cheeks a pale pink. He didn't like Sirius pointing that out. "Besides, it may be that Mum and Dad noticed her one-eighty in attitude towards you." Fury radiated off him as he pointed a finger at Sirius. "There won't be anything left to yip about for long, you mutt." Charlie turned, not bothering to keep his long robe sleeve from smacking Sirius in the face, and exited the Great Hall.

Okay, so maybe _that_ was what Charlie needed right now.

As the Creatures professor made his way back outside, his mind unwillingly drifted back to Miraphina. He cursed that he couldn't stop thinking about her since yesterday's class. _Okay, well, I haven't really stopped thinking about her since I've been talking with her so much._ But those times had been during class. With the exception of yesterday when he had approached her with an offer of friendship, he had always talked formally with her.

_Maybe that's it,_ he pondered, a plan quickly formulating in his mind. _Maybe if I get to know her outside of all things formal, then maybe I'll be able to define what it is between us. Maybe I'll figure out that it's nothing at all, that I'm just being lead by hormones._

Of course, as he thought the last bit, he felt he would discover something else entirely.

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Miraphina was glad to be back on good terms with Ginny. Apparently, Ginny's close friend Tonks, Professor Lupin's wife, had suffered a terrible double miscarriage last night, and Ginny had needed Mira this morning. Ginny hated seeing any of her friends hurt.

The Hufflepuff could only agree wholeheartedly with her. Friends and loved ones in danger –nobody wanted that. They all wanted to be safe, to be protected, to be loved. And then Mira's mind wandered momentarily to Charlie, that nagging beast inside her craving his safety, his protection, his love. It screamed at her that she already had it, she and Charlie just hadn't known or acknowledged it yet.

Mira ignored that beast as she and Ginny headed to Divination.

Trelawney cleared her throat. "Now, class, we've been working with simple interpretations and slogging our way through the medium ones, but I think you're now at a ready enough level for the tough ones." She tossed some rune stones on her table and peered at them through her large glasses. A strange noise escaped her. "With the harder ones, you have to look for hidden meanings. Look for those and even the most puzzling of predictions will present themselves as clear as glass."

The oddball of a woman turned around, waved her wand, and scrawled something on the board.

"When in doubt, substitute words. Yes, you have to be careful since you might come up with just about anything, but it's somewhat of a sure-fire way to read the rune stones. For example, a number might mean someone's age, birthday… Maybe even what number child they are in their family. A flower might suggest someone's name or what they'll be attacked by." She obviously didn't hear the snickers as she blathered on: "A color might exist to describe a person's physical attributes, like their hair, skin, or eye color." There was a clatter in the middle row. "Are you quite all right, Miss Weasley?"

Ginny picked her textbook and notes off the floor and resituated herself at her table with Mira, who stared at her with curiosity. "O-Oh, yes. I'm fine, professor."

Trelawney blinked mysteriously, and then continued her lecture. "An animal, like a dog, might also describe someone's physical characteristics…"

Ginny acted strange throughout the rest of the class, but she didn't say anything, no matter how hard Mira bothered her. It got to the point that Mira was showing a level of persistence she hadn't known she possessed.

"Goddammit, spill, Ginny!!" Miraphina hounded her after the bell rang and they headed for lunch in the Great Hall. "I would hope that you learned from last time that it might favor you if I know what's going on in that head of yours," she hissed, meaning her and Charlie's discovery of Ginny and Professor Black. But when Ginny didn't respond, Miraphina huffed. "Bollocks!!"

"Aren't ladies supposed to watch their language?" Raven threw at Mira when the gang had settled for the meal.

"Seeing as you aren't one, I don't see how it should concern you," Mira retorted. She stuck her tongue out as an afterthought.

Meanwhile, Ginny was engrossed in her Divination notes. Mavrick furrowed his brow. "Ginny, you've been acting weird lately."

"Don't you mean she's just being herself?" Raven offered. "She's always weird."

Mav rolled his eyes and ignored his girlfriend's comment.

The redhead, however, was busy scribbling the words on a piece of scrap paper. Her eyes roved over each and every word. "Hey, guys."

Raven mock-gasped. "She speaks!!"

Ginny ignored her. "What color would you say mist is?"

"White," Mavrick answered.

"Isn't it kind of silver?" Mira inquired.

The Quidditch captain shook her head. "Mist is water vapor, so it takes on the color of its background. Typically, it comes with fog, so one might say that it's a cool gray."

Mira pouted. "Silver _is_ gray."

"No, it's not!" Raven glared at her, and Mira had to wonder if Raven argued with her all the time if just for the sake of arguing.

"And flames?" Ginny asked.

This time, there was no dispute. Mav, Rave, and Mira all said it in unison: "Orange."

The redheaded witch covered her mouth with her hand, appearing very queasy. She read over her words again and again.

Nigel peered over her shoulder. "What's that you have written there?" he asked.

She hurriedly covered her script, all eyes on her. She looked up –and locked eyes with Reaves. Miraphina saw his mouth parted slightly as if he wanted to say something, but Ginny tore her eyes from his when Mira spoke to her.

"Ginny, you look-"

"I'll see you guys later," she spluttered, not stopping to notice that her words had almost come out as one. She stuffed her things into her rucksack and sped out of the Great Hall, taking little care to not bump into others.

A heavy sickness settled in the pit of Mira's stomach. Barely three months ago, she had watched her boyfriend do the same thing. It hurt that Ginny did not talk, not tell them what shook her so. Mira could feel history repeating itself all over again.

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When Mira didn't see Ginny for the rest of the day, she feared history really _was_ repeating itself again. This time, however, it wasn't the same thing. Around supper, Miraphina saw Ginny drift past the Great Hall in the direction of Gryffindor Tower.

The brunette witch released a sigh she didn't realize she'd been withholding. _Is Fate always going to keep me hanging by a thread?_

"Miraphina."

Mira jumped at his voice. It wasn't just his voice saying her name, but him saying her first name with others around. She turned. All she could do was lock eyes with Charlie.

He laughed. "Everything all right?"

She tilted her head, feeling like someone was playing a joke on her. She pushed him around and out of the way where students and faculty could neither see them nor hear them. "What are you doing?"

"I was going to say 'hi'," he said slowly.

"You called me 'Miraphina'," she pointed out.

"Do you prefer 'Mira'?"

"I-" Mira paused. Was he playing games with her? "I thought we could only be friends when you said so."

"It's not a switch you flip on or off, Mira. Friends are friends."

She read his blue eyes. "You need a friend tonight."

His jaw clenched at her forthrightness, but he didn't deny it. "…Maybe," he admitted after a second, glancing away from her.

"Because of Ginny," she supplied with a sympathetic look.

Charlie sighed. "She's trouble, you know."

Mira chuckled. "I know." She looked through her bag. "You know, I have a book to return to the library." She locked eyes with him, hoping he understood. "Walk me there?"

A mix of emotions flitted across his face, but he nodded and they went upstairs. He vented in bits and pieces. "I can't believe she's with Black."

"I won't say I get it myself," Mira commented. "But I talked with her at length this morning. She really loves Sirius, and she hates that you found out the way you did."

"You gasped."

"Don't pin this on me," she said teasingly, but he didn't look like he was in quite the joking mood. She stopped him with a hand on his chest when they were outside the library. "Charlie," she began softly, savoring the taste of his name on her tongue, "love happens. You can't control it. You can't truly pick who you fall for, what their history is, or how old they are. If it's right, if it's meant to be, then the two meet. At least, that's what I've always believed," she finished with a sad smile, her thoughts drifting back to Grant for a second.

"Mira… I'm sorry," he apologized. "I should've known you'd think of Selwyn." He hugged her when her eyes got glassy. "Just promise me you won't cry."

She tried to remember how to breathe, but at this close proximity, nothing but him was in her grasp. "T-Then promise me you'll shower. I mean, pew!" she managed to joke in an effort to change the subject.

Charlie laughed. "Yeah, yeah… You don't mind bear hugs, I can feel it." He shut up then, and she was sure he understood the different meanings in those words.

Miraphina looked up at him, no sign of oncoming tears. Those thoughts were curiously long-forgotten with his arms around her. "Um, my books…"

He let her go then and they entered the library. She returned the book to Madam Pince and took a seat by a back window, Charlie of course joining her. They talked endlessly until Madam Pince kicked them out, but Mira knew that she hadn't minded missing dinner to hang out with Charlie.

And when he gave her his most charming smile, she was pretty sure he hadn't felt very hungry either.

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**If you've read ****To the Future****, then you know what's coming with Ginny. If not, then go to chapter 19 of that story to see where Ginny ran off to –I'll warn you, though, there's an explosion of sorts.**

**Anyway, CHARLIE!!! God, I can't get over writing Charlie, especially when he seems to sparkle around Mira and vice versa. And just wait for what happens in 10!**

**I'll see you in the slightly shorter chappie 10, but for now you should review!**

**Thank you!!!**

**-mew-tsubaki**


	10. 10th Hint, 1st Insinuation

**At the Moment**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

Note: J.K. Rowling's characters are in another companion story to my fics **To the Future**, **From the Past**, and **In the Present**. As usual, there are O.C.s, but duh, because Charlie's with an O.C. Anywho, please enjoy the story and let me know what you think of it in a review. BTW: I don't know how many chapters this'll last, but it will be shorter than the companion stories.

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**The First Insinuation (& the Tenth Hint)**

Miraphina met Charlie nearly every night in the library now. Well, not much time had passed. The rest of that week played out, and May was soon ending. But Mira hadn't seen much of Ginny lately. Her best friend hadn't really been around except for in classes. After all, the same day Ginny had run from lunch like a mad woman had been the same day that she and Sirius were found by Dumbledore. The headmaster had owled her parents, Sirius's seventh year Defense Against the Dark Arts class had been passed to Professor Lupin, and a Distance Charm had been placed to keep Sirius and Ginny twenty meters away from each other at all times. Depression clung to Mira's friend, and Ginny had withdrawn herself from their group of friends. It was too much at once, so Mira kinda understood why she hadn't seen the girl a lot lately. Of course, Mira hadn't spent much extra time with her friends, either; a certain Care for Magical Creatures professor was occupying her free time.

"She's probably meeting Black secretly behind our backs," Charlie groused on one such library-visiting night.

"Or she just doesn't want to be with everyone right now," Mira offered while she doodled in her notebook. "After all, the headmaster put a Distance Charm on them to ensure that they'd stay away from each other until the end of the school year. They're both just waiting it out."

Charlie grimaced, but covered his grimace with the palm of his hand as he cupped his chin. "Shouldn't you be studying?"

Mira finished doodling her daisy and put down her quill. "Shouldn't you be bothering girls your own age?"

There was that something unreadable in his eyes again, the same thing she had been witnessing a lot in those blue eyes lately. And he only ever got it when she mentioned vaguely that he was spending most of his time with her.

"Sorry," she mumbled, putting away her quill.

His free hand covered hers. "May I?" he asked, and he took the quill when she nodded. He drew many curved, clustered lines. It was a minute before she realized he was drawing a Hungarian Horntail. "Laurel flew away again."

Mira didn't say anything. She knew better than to offer her own opinion when Charlie talked about the personal things that perturbed him. She also knew that his lover-mate being a were-dragon was taking a toll on him.

"She's been gone for four days now," he continued. He stopped drawing. "She's gotten very sick of me." Charlie lifted his eyes slowly from the paper to Mira's face. They lingered elsewhere before resting on her eyes.

"I've wondered…," Miraphina began, knowing she was heading into treacherous territory here. "Why is she always mad at you? What makes her fly off for days at a time, Charlie?"

He sighed and rolled his shoulders. "It's complicated, Mir."

She ignored the bit of joy that surged at her new nickname, this one that only he had for her. "I'm a smart girl."

"At first, she wanted to meet my family."

"Naturally," the witch stated.

"Then she wanted to spend even more time with me."

"But you usually spent your time with her."

He nodded, paling as he looked out the window. "The main cause is that… She-"

"-wants kids," Mira finished, hating that she could read him so well. Maybe it wasn't her; maybe he was just too easy to read…but either way hurt Miraphina. "Most women do at some point. We've got biological clocks, y'know."

Charlie reddened, embarrassed that he had reached the topic with her. "Yeah, but… I don't want kids with her." He paused. "I don't really want any kids right now."

"Of course not," the curvy brunette said bitterly. "Most men don't."

He shot her a dirty look. "I will some day, mind you. Just not right now."

Mira sighed and gathered her hair over her shoulder again. It was a habit of hers, to play with her hair when she was lost in thought. Tonight, one new thing entered her thought. She saw Charlie reached out and tugged her hair as he playfully did sometimes. She saw Charlie leaned forward over the table staring at her, an intensely passionate look in his blue, blue eyes as she'd never before seen. She watched him close the gap between them, his breath sweet and warm as it brushed over her nose and cheeks. She felt the taste of his lips as he kissed her, the two of them ceasing to be anything but one entity. She closed her eyes as he kissed her further, just enjoying those sweet kisses. Her thoughts tormented her so.

Mira sighed happily and unhappily at the same time, knowing that when she opened her eyes, her mind's eye would run away with those pleasant daydreams. When she finally lifted her eyelids, her face felt warm. But it was not because of the romantic thought she was having.

It was because those thoughts hadn't been thoughts at all. Her mind's eye had not carried her off to another world.

Charlie's face was right in front of hers, his lips moist, as if they had just been kissed. His eyes crinkled as he half-smiled. "Sorry," he muttered.

Mira's heart nearly stopped like it had before when she had first realized that he was the one from Trelawney's reading.

Charlie hadn't been a daydream just now.

He had actually kissed her.

Her muscles tensed and relaxed over and over again. She wasn't sure what to do, what to say, how to look. This was not something she expected of him.

Was this really Charlie?

"Sorry," he repeated, but he didn't even half-smile this time. "I didn't mean to frighten you. I guess I-

Mira abruptly stood. "You dinnit froightin me, Chalie," she spluttered. And she realized her mistake there.

"Mir, you only ever speak in your true cockney accent went you're completely frazzled," he said with a smile, a laugh in his voice. "Do I make you frazzled, Mir?"

She shook her head, everything clear and confused, focused and unfocused at once. "Stuppit. Stuppit now!" She shoved him away, though his hands caught hers and gave her a squeeze.

"Mir, you felt it. That time when we walked and talked in the forest. That time it was the spark, and it grew as we talked more and leaned on each other more. It had already been growing from the first small conversation we had. You felt it, didn't you?" Doubt was leaking into his expression and tone now, but Mira didn't know what to do.

"Yer a ruddy git!!" she yelled at him. She grabbed his shirt collar, yanked him down for another kiss, slapped him, and ran. She couldn't think of anything else to do but go to bed.

Why had he done that?! He confirmed what she felt and thought she saw he felt, and all with that kiss!! And she had no idea what to do!!!

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_That was a royal mess,_ Charlie snarled to himself as he entered his hut that night. He was most grateful for Laurel's absence tonight, because he didn't know what he'd say after what had happened with Mira.

He had been pretty sure that she felt the same way about him. All their time spent together, all their talks, the smiles, the secret double-takes, the thought about the other that they could perceive in the other one's face –he had thought Mira loved him like he did her.

Charlie lay awake on his bed. Had he really just said the l-word?

The wizard turned on his side, blushing furiously as he thought of the Hufflepuff. Yes, he had enjoyed the bits of conversation with Mira before, but it had only taken him one month to fall in love with her.

_And screw that up,_ he noted, replaying the scene in the library. She didn't seem like she knew what she wanted to do, eventually deciding on yelling at him, kissing him, slapping him, and then running. _Not typical of a girl who's in love with you._

Then again… She _had_ kissed him, in an albeit hazy whirlwind of actions. And her eyes spoke to him, too. They told him all was not lost. But his temper raged. Did she really have to slap him?!

He finally drifted off to sleep an hour later, thoughts of Mira plaguing his dreams.

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**Honestly, I wasn't expecting that to happen. I'm glad that the story finally got a mind of its own, but look at what these two have done!! *mock-horror* Oh, well. Mira's a lucky girl to have kissed the Care for Magical Creatures professor.**

**Review if you agree!! XD har, har**

**-mew-tsubaki**

**P.S. –Yes, 10 was ransomed by o0Black-Sand0o. Who knows when I'll post another chappie? Hopefully soon! After all, 11's a nice build-up and 12… Well, let's just say that it'll be the favorite chapter. *smiles* NOW GO READ AND REVIEW!!!**


	11. 1th Hint, 2nd Insinuation

**At the Moment**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

Note: J.K. Rowling's characters are in another companion story to my fics **To the Future**, **From the Past**, and **In the Present**. As usual, there are O.C.s, but duh, because Charlie's with an O.C. Anywho, please enjoy the story and let me know what you think of it in a review. BTW: I don't know how many chapters this'll last, but it will be shorter than the companion stories.

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**The Second Insinuation (& the Eleventh Hint)**

The next week was May's last, and it was a week after the kiss. Charlie and Mira had still gone to the library every night, though in discomfited silence. She didn't ignore him, per say, but she chose to either study or read instead of talking to him. And he had been perfectly content with watching her, watching over her.

During his class with the seventh years, he watched Mir catch ellylons with Ginny. The two girls were talking. He supposed it was about Black. Mira only ever got to talk about anything else with him, usually. But her silence had made that a little hard these days.

"I think you're worrying too much," Charlie heard Mira tell Ginny during Care for Magical Creatures. "Riu is definitely the one for you, Ginny. Of course a sudden separation would impact things. It's not you."

Ginny mumbled in feeble agreement. She numbly reached down to catch the blue-capped ellylon, but it scampered underneath an oleander brush. She sighed.

"There's no reaching for an ellylon," Charlie chastised, coming up to the girls. He shot his hand forward and plucked the fairy from the ground by its wings. "I told you to dive for it, Ginny."

Again, her agreement was muttered, and Charlie frowned. She dove for another ellylon, but tripped and fell face-first into the dirt instead. She went at it again, but Charlie caught her as she fell once more.

Charlie sighed. "Gin, this is all for your own good. Someone like you deserves better than someone like him. Continue with this assignment and don't think about him, okay?" Her brother walked away then, as if he had solved everything.

But he hadn't, and Mira glared at his back, angry that he thought he could just say whatever, but also a teensy jealous at Ginny for tripping and being caught by Charlie, his arms around her waist instead of Mira's. She was beginning to sort out her feelings for him, though she hadn't said anything yet, and she understood that her jealousy only gave more evidence that she was in love with him. "I can't believe he said that to you!! I don't care that he's our teacher or your brother! I oughta pop him good for that one!!"

"Mira, don't," Ginny pleaded. "It's nothing. He's just protecting his baby sister."

"Don't give me that excuse! He just doesn't know that Riu is your one-and-only! Your other half! Your soulmate!" Mira felt herself getting too easily worked up over that word, 'soulmate'. After all, Trelawney had told Miraphina that Charlie was her soulmate, the permanent love of her life.

"Mira, stop!" Ginny yelled at her. She huffed a bit and looked away from Miraphina's stunned face. "I don't –I don't want to hear that kind of poppycock right now, so just stop."

Mira superficially recovered. "Yes, okay. Right, then. I think I see some ellylons over there. Shall we?" Mira forced a smile, but Ginny's outburst had caught her off-guard. She observed it as a trait the Weasleys shared: Ron suddenly saved Sirius, Charlie kissed Mira out-of-the-blue, and Ginny abruptly told her or yelled things at her.

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The following week –June's first –found Ginny hailed by Professor Lupin three more times. From what Ginny had told Mira, Ginny could see Sirius –or 'Riu' as Mira called him in code –with Lupin's help, but Mira knew that Ginny was upset about something with Sirius. She'd been making up excuses and not seeing Sirius at all.

"So why bother?" Mira provoked Ginny during their break before supper. They were in the outer halls catching the summer breeze. "If you're not going to push for your relationship when you're tested, why bother staying with him?"

"I don't want to leave him!" Ginny retorted. She frowned and looked away. "I'm just angry with him right now…"

"And as I recall, being angry with him was what got you into this mess in the first place. _Who_ was it arguing with her boyfriend in front of the Room of Requirement? Please, remind me."

The Weasley daughter took several steps towards the indoors. "You wouldn't get it, Mira. Grant's always been perfect for you."

The hurt look on Mira's face made Ginny regret her words, but Mira didn't want an apology. "Don't," she said, holding up a hand when the redheaded witch opened her mouth. Miraphina didn't want to hear anything about the guy who had abandoned her. She stepped past Ginny, saying, "I've got some homework to do, so I'm skipping supper again. I'll see you tomorrow." The Hufflepuff didn't glance over her shoulder to see the guilt on the Gryffindor's face.

As Mira neared the library, she dragged her feet and rearranged the strap of her rucksack a few times. The stress had returned. She could go into the library, face Charlie while thinking of Grant, not know what to say to Charlie because she still hadn't really talked to him since the kiss, and be unhappy all around. In the end, she swallowed the troubles and went in.

Madam Pince wasn't there to watch her like a hawk for once, and that relieved Mira some. The girl sat at her usual table and placed her bag down on the seat beside her. It was very quiet tonight, and there was no sign of Charlie.

_Go figure that the one time he's caused all the problems is the one time I want him,_ she thought as she slowly cracked open her Potions text. _I might as well get cracking on my notes, then._ She went through her stuff for the class and gathered what she knew was most important, putting the insignificant things at the bottom of the pile. After twenty minutes, though, the notes began to really pile up.

Miraphina stood and stretched once a half-hour had passed. She browsed the shelves behind her and pulled out a title on dragons. Tears pricked the backs of her eyes, because it made her think of Charlie again. She ended up closing the book and returning it to its spot on the shelf, but she had to brush aside some dust first.

It took her a moment to recognize that it wasn't lint. In actuality, it was a pale purple flower. The flower was small, with a long dark green stem. A few more flowers branched off the main stem. Mira picked it up, liking it and its barely-there fragrance.

"Do you like it?"

A part of her had been expecting him to show up then. Miraphina turned around to find Charlie right behind her, leaning against the back of her pushed-in chair. She smiled softly. "Yes, I like it," she answered.

He breathed a huge sigh of relief. "Good. I was wondering if we could have a truce," Charlie stated as he pulled out a few more bunches of the tiny purple flower.

Mira laughed. "Charlie, you don't have to win me over with flowers or gifts of any source. And why do we need a truce?"

"You've been mad at me since I kissed you," he said quietly, a frown in his eyes.

_At both of us, really._ The brunette inhaled and exhaled before commenting. "Partially," she finally admitted. She took the other flowers from him, her excitement flying off the charts when he purposely brushed his fingers over the back of her hand. "Truce," Mira mumbled, her voice little more than a squeak.

Charlie smiled then. "What, no cockney for me?"

She glared at him, but that only made him laugh.

"Sorry, that was mean, truce," he said in a rush, but the laughter was still there in his voice. "They're sweet peas, by the way."

"They're cute and elegant at the same time," Mira said, staring at the flowers.

"Would you mind my being cheesy if I agreed you're the same?"

She looked at him, seeing a blush dust the apples of his cheeks. "And if I do?"

He leaned forward but stopped, seeming to realize he might kiss her again. Mira wondered if he _would_ ever kiss her again, but she didn't want to push it, not when she still had mixed emotions from the first one.

And that made _her_ stop. Were her emotions really so mixed? Or were they all telling her to go for it?

She looked at him and saw he was waiting for her to speak. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I said that the flowers, they represent delicacy," Charlie repeated. He brushed the second bangs that she had streaked a chestnut color behind her ear, and she knew why he had told her that. His unspoken sentence hung in the air between them: 'They're delicate, like you, like us.'

The look in his eyes was it. Mira hugged the flowers to her chest and buried her face in his chest, embracing him, as well. He needed to know that they weren't _too_ delicate.

When she pulled away, she stuffed her things in her bag. It was late, and Madam Pince would probably stick her nasty beak in soon. Charlie waited patiently while Mira packed up.

"You should get back to your place," Mira whispered as they headed downstairs. "You don't want to get in trouble." The look he gave her was a Shouldn't-I-be-telling-you-that look.

"I'm fine. I'm faculty, remember?"

Mira pursed her lips. When they passed the Great Hall and he stayed with her, she wondered what he was up to. Easily enough, she found out. He had wanted to walk her to the Hufflepuff portrait hole.

"Good night, Mir," Charlie said quietly. It was spoken in a hushed, seductive way that made her insides melt.

"Gud noight, Chalie." She blinked and blushed and slapped her forehead all at once while his shoulders shook with silent laughter. _Agh! _she scolded herself. _Not again!!!_

"Good to know you're still frazzled," he whispered. He shot her that charming –too charming –smile and left as she entered the canary yellow and black Hufflepuff Common Room.

Mira clutched the sweet peas in her hand. He needed to know that they weren't _too_ delicate, and she would make sure of that tomorrow, after a good night's rest.

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**Okay, so maybe May went by kinda fast, but June is a whirlwind of events, so I'm glad I started the Insinuation arc in the previous chappie. Sorry if they made up too fast for ya, but I write in the time lapses, so there really isn't any confusion.**

**So let's review and march on to 12 (it'll probably be the favorite chapter by far)!!!**

**Thank you, those who review and even those who haven't! (But especially the reviewers –anyone who's ever gotten a review on their story I'm sure understands how great it feels to get feedback!)**

**-mew-tsubaki :)**

**P.S. –A double-post! Thanks to you, o0Black-sand0o!**


	12. 12th Hint, 3rd Insinuation

**At the Moment**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

Note: J.K. Rowling's characters are in another companion story to my fics **To the Future**, **From the Past**, and **In the Present**. As usual, there are O.C.s, but duh, because Charlie's with an O.C. Anywho, please enjoy the story and let me know what you think of it in a review. BTW: I don't know how many chapters this'll last, but it will be shorter than the companion stories.

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**The Third Insinuation (& the Twelfth Hint)**

"Why are you still here?"

"Trust me, I'm not staying for long. I'm grabbing some things for a…retreat."

Charlie stood silently at the doorway to the hut while Laurel grabbed some items and clothes and stuffed them in a small satchel. He knew she'd be back at some point, but he didn't want to see her right now. It ruined his mood from last night when he had finally made up with Mira.

"By the way," Laurel said in a snarky tone, "have you noticed that you smell of candy and ink lately?" She touched a finger to her chin and looked up in a thoughtful posture. "Funny. I am beginning to think I was right about you and that child."

"She's not a child!!" Charlie yelled, slamming his fist against the wall beside him. He didn't even care about denying Mira's involvement in his life now. "The only child I've seen outside the classroom is you!"

Laurel glared daggers at him. "Don't you even start, Mr. Afraid-of-Commitment," she said venomously, using a contraction in a sentence for once.

He shook his head. "I'm not afraid of commitment, Laurel. I just don't want a family right now. Least of all with someone who'd pass on a temper."

"_My _temper?! You are talking of _my_ temper?!! You throw things when you are infuriated, and _I_ am the bad seed! Get to the point, Charles! You are scared of me passing on the were-dragon to your child."

"No, I'm not!" he stated, and he meant it. "I'm not scared of that at all, because-" Charlie stopped; he knew he was in too deep to dig himself out of this grave.

"Because what, Charles?"

He exhaled and pinched the bridge of his nose in exhaustion. "Because I don't want to have children with you."

Laurel closed her eyes. After a second, she tied the satchel close and stuffed her wand into her belt. "You'll see me again, just not soon," she stated in a clipped tone as she passed him to leave.

Charlie listened to her footsteps fade. When he could no longer hear them, he closed the door and sat on the edge of his bed. A vein pulsed strongly in his neck, and he wondered what his blood pressure looked like right then.

The school year was almost over. He didn't know if he was going to stay on as a teacher, but he also didn't know if he wanted to if offered the job for another go-around. Charlie's emotions did nothing but rage these past two months, and he wondered if he was really fit to remain on at Hogwarts.

He stood and kicked some stray shoes with the toe of his boot. _No, I should stay on. I'm good with the kids and I'm good at what I do. What I do…_

Charlie's thoughts drifted to the Dragon Plains. He missed the open space and the ruggedness. He missed the calm from working with the dragons, and he missed communicating with the sires telepathically. There was a different kind of magic in Romania, one that didn't require wands and spell books. It was the presence of the ancient beings who sometimes imparted their centuries-old wisdom. It was the need of hands-on work, not the necessity of a wand, that made it special to Charlie.

The redhead ran a hand through his long hair after untying the ribbon. This hair was the hair he had grown to look like Bill's; this was the hair Laurel loved to run her fingers through so much. But as the Dragon Plains made Charlie homesick, he found himself wishing he was that man from those weathered days, the man without the long hair, the man without the baggage that tied him down here. He lifted his robe and sniffed it. Laurel was right; he did smell faintly of candy and chocolate and ink. He smiled at the thought of Mira.

She was not baggage.

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Mira turned and rolled over. Her sheets were cooling in this summer weather. However, as she clunked her head on the floor, she knew she needed to work on sleeping in on the summer weekends.

The curvy brunette sat up and fixed her nightshirt and blankets. A yawn forced its way out of her. Mira covered her mouth and looked at her alarm clock. It was already ten o'clock.

_Aw, hell,_ she grumbled as she made her bed. _I meant to get up earlier and spend the whole day organizing my review sheets and notes and-_ She stopped.

She had also meant to break away and spirit herself to Charlie's for a bit.

Mira frowned and changed into jeans and a short-sleeved, lightweight blouse. _I was hoping to drop by, but with exams a little over two weeks away, I don't know if I dare risk it._

"So you're finally up!" she heard Dana exclaim behind her.

Mira turned around and saw Dana and Drina near the door. They were dressed in weekend clothes, too. "You two were actually awake before me?" the brunette asked incredulously.

"It has to happen _some _time," Dana said dryly. She smiled as she held up a bag. "But that's not the point."

"Um, what is?" Miraphina cautiously inquired.

"Oh, just everything we need for a girls' day out –or in," Drina answered, her bob clipped up by a few barrettes.

The curvy Hufflepuff groaned. "'Girls' day out'? Come on, guys. Exams are almost here. Shouldn't we be studying instead?"

"No!" Dana shot back. "All you do is study! You've disappeared too easily the past few weeks."

"We're not letting you get away again," Cirdrine remarked.

"So that means a DVD extravaganza?" Mira said.

"Not just DVDs," Dana replied. "We've got DVDs, magazines, CDs, accessories, and make-up."

Mira cringed at the last one. "Make-up? You know I hardly ever wear any."

"Exactly," the other two said in unison.

The Atherton girl sighed. "Okay, okay. If I give you today, will you guys stop bugging me about girl time?"

Cirdrine pouted and Dana put a finger to her lips, but Dana acquiesced in the end. "After all," she added, "the year's almost over. This might as well be our big bang. Hard to believe our last year's come and gone so quickly."

That kept Mira's mouth shut. _That's right. This isn't just another school year. It's my last year at Hogwarts._ Blindsided by the sudden revival of that fact, Mira let Dana and Drina drag her to a chair and play with her hair and use make-up on her. Miraphina only came back to the present when her friends were done.

"Nice," Dana complimented to Drina, the main make-up artist.

"Would you like to see yourself, Miss Atherton?" Cirdrine joked, passing the victim a mirror.

Mira gazed at her reflection, though, awed by the magic Drina had worked without a wand. Her eyes popped with the dusty lavender eye-shadow. She looked a little older with her cheekbones defined by a pearly pink blush that deepened naturally when her cheeks grew rosy. And her lips looked kiss-worthy in the mauve lippy Drina had applied.

"Well done," Cirdrine told Dana when Mira gawked further at the smooth pigtails the skinny Hufflepuff had coifed. Two scrunchies held Miraphina's hair back, which cascaded behind her with a beautiful sheen.

Mira was speechless. "You made me _gorgeous_," she rasped to her friends.

"We didn't make you gorgeous, Mira," Dana stated with a laugh. "You were just the right canvas for us."

"Perfect from the start," Drina tacked on.

That statement intrigued Mira. Of course it didn't describe her and Grant, but it felt right for her and Charlie. _Charlie…,_ her mind wandered, but she scolded herself. She had promised today to Dana and Cirdrine.

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She had promised today to Dana and Cirdrine. Now, she was kicking herself for doing so.

She got mock-revenge on them when the time came to do their hair and make-up. Dana looked ridiculous with gold make-up, since her eyes were a dark violet blue. Cirdrine looked more hilarious with her hair gelled into spikes; she looked like a mace!

The three of them watched two movies and listened to a couple of CDs, but Mira couldn't focus when the other two pried open the magazines and started gabbing about the latest what's-what in the celebrity world. Mira's mind wasn't in the dormitory or the Hufflepuff space or even in Hogwarts castle. It was outside.

Outside of Charlie's hut.

She gnawed on her bottom lip. Mira was itching to be with Charlie, but she also didn't want to ditch her friends yet again. That's what she had been doing the whole time. But she couldn't just leave Charlie thinking they were as delicate as the flowers he had given her.

The witch glanced at the sweet peas on her nightstand. The flowers were still beautiful, if not for the few that were shriveling some despite Miraphina's having put them in water. Mira dragged her eyes from the flowers and walked over to her window. She leaned on the sill and looked down. She couldn't get a good view of Charlie's hut from this angle.

Biting back another sigh, Mira sat down on her bed. "Guys, it's lunchtime. I'm going to grab something to eat."

"We've got all the protein you need right here," Cirdrine whined, pointing to the mound of Chocolate Frogs, Howler's Hard Candies, Bertie Bott's Every-Flavor Beans, and more.

"I meant something real to eat," Mira elaborated, but she picked up a Hard Candy anyway.

"Fine, we'll let you escape for lunch," Dana said, rolling her eyes in a very Ginny-like fashion. "You get twenty minutes to yourself, but then we own you again."

"Yes, Master," Mira teased as she hopped up. She poked Dana and playfully shoved Drina on her way out. Once the door closed behind her, she ran like hell out of the Hufflepuff Common Room.

She slowed once she made it to the outdoor corridors because she didn't want to draw attention to her. Mira clenched her jaw in irritation when she saw how many students were about; she wished it had been a Hogsmeade trip day so there would be fewer of her schoolmates around to accidentally catch her and Charlie. On the bright side, if she got caught just being with him, they could always lie and say she wanted to ask him about something from class.

It was hard to not break into another run when she went down the hill. Luck was with her this time, though, in that few students were straying too far from the castle. Most of the area around Charlie's was clear.

Mira relaxed into a medium-paced walk as she got closer to the hut. It was only another minute before she was at his door. And then something occurred to her: She could knock, but what would she say when he answered?

What if he didn't answer?

What if _Laurel_ answered?

_Here goes,_ she told herself. Mira raised her hand to knock on the door-

_**THWACK!**_

"Ah!! Bloody 'ell!!" Mira rubbed her nose and forehead where the door had made solid contact. "That smarts…"

"Mira! Oh my-!! I'm so sorry!!" Charlie yelped almost all at once.

The Hufflepuff blinked back tears, not wanting her make-up to run. "It's okay, Charlie. I'll be fine."

He looked doubtful, though. "Come in. I'll get some ice for you."

Mira stepped inside and he closed the door behind her. She turned her head, taking everything in. It was pretty clean, not only for a man, but Mira also took into consideration who had lived here before Charlie. And Charlie didn't smell in the least bit like a gamekeeper.

Charlie sat her down at the table and knelt in front of her. He moved her hand away from her face and brushed her bangs up. He winced. "It's fairly red. I'm so sorry, Mir. I didn't see you. I just threw the door open without a second thought." He held the ice wrapped in a cloth against her forehead. "I'm really, really sorry."

"I told you, it's okay, Charlie," Mira repeated. "I'll be fine. I've suffered worse."

"I can't believe I did that," he breathed, the worry not disappearing from his eyes.

Mira held up a finger. "Apologize one more time and you'll truly have something to apologize about."

Charlie slightly smiled then. "We've really got bad timing."

"Both figuratively and literally," Mira said, closing her eyes. But she grinned, too. _Maybe telling him will happen another time…_

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Charlie had been embarrassed before. He'd also done stupid things.

Opening his front door into the face of the girl he loved was the most embarrassing, stupidest thing he had ever done.

Right when he had been about to leave for lunch, he let his mind wander to his wary future. That only poured some anger into him, and he had thrown open his door with a little more force than was necessary. That turned out to be a mistake since Mira had been on the other side. The door smacked her nose and head, and Charlie felt extraordinarily lucky that she had not yelled at or smacked him.

"The swelling's gone down quite a bit," he commented once a few minutes had flown by. "Will you really kill me if I say sorry one more time?"

Mira glared at him, but winced when she did so. "Yes," she answered.

Charlie tossed her a flirty smile. "Will you kill me if I suggest a kiss might make the boo-boo go away?"

Her blush was the best response, and he chuckled. "Just shut it, you git," she muttered while averting her eyes.

His chuckle trailed off and he stood, looking for something to eat. He rummaged through the cabinets, unfortunately finding Laurel's old wand sheath, the one he had replaced on Valentine's Day. He grimaced.

"What's wrong?" Mira asked.

Charlie glanced over his shoulder and saw the brunette had her eyes closed. "What makes you ask that?"

"I felt you tense," she replied.

He pursed his lips. "Just…stuff," he answered.

"By 'stuff' you mean 'Laurel'."

Charlie exhaled heavily. "Yes, I meant Laurel." He shut the cabinets and opened the drawers, pulling out a knife.

"Charlie, what are you thinking?" Mira asked worriedly.

He turned and found that her eyes were now wide open. "I'm not going to do anything bad, Mir."

But she furrowed her brow, still a little scared.

Charlie grabbed his ponytail and sliced it off with the blade. The blue ribbon fell on the floor, along with a few pieces of red hair. The wizard put the knife back and put the freshly cut hair on the counter.

"Why did you do that?"

He sat down at the table. "I'm getting rid of an old life." He met her eyes. "'Stuff' meant 'Laurel'."

Mira frowned. "Vent."

"I vented when I opened the door. Look where that got me."

She raised her eyebrows. "Don't make me beat your feelings out of you."

He smiled at that. "No, I wouldn't want that. Ah…" He kept his eyes locked on hers for another moment, and then he dropped his gaze to the floor. "I finally told her that I don't want to have a family with _her_."

"Ouch," Mira mumbled. She held the ice against her nose now.

"It doesn't get much better. I admitted that after she accused me of smelling like candy and ink," he continued, lifting his eyes back to her face.

"Oh. …Like me." Her voice was quiet, her eyes wide.

"Exactly like you," he stated with a smile. It quickly faded. "Then I was thinking…"

"Haven't you learned how dangerous that can be?"

"My thoughts placed me back in Romania," he went on, dismissing her interruption. "I'm feeling homesick."

Mira 'aah-ed!' like a little puppy. "You're home's here, though. Not in Romania!"

"I've worked on the Dragon Plains for so long that Romania _did_ become my home, Mir," Charlie said gently.

She dropped her eyes this time. "B-But… What does this have to do with, um, you cutting your hair?"

"This hair is an old part of me. A part the new me doesn't need anymore." The wizard picked the blue ribbon off the floor. He flicked his gaze back to her. "It signifies a new life."

Mira stared at the ribbon as he placed it in her hand. "You've always had this," she said in undertones.

Charlie nodded. "It was Bill's."

She snapped her head up then, knowing how much it meant to him. "Why this sudden change?"

"Life changes constantly. It's delicate, just like every moment that passes by."

"Like the sweet peas."

He blinked, surprised she had brought the flower up. "Yes, actually," Charlie answered, though he pondered if she knew what he meant when he gave her the purple flowers. _Life, moments, and sweet peas are delicate,_ he thought, _like her. Like what's between us._

"Charlie," she said, and she blinked rapidly, her eyes growing glassy. Her breaths were short and her eyes were so big…

The wizard abruptly stood before he kissed her again. He didn't want to break whatever delicate red string of fate bound them with one stupid kiss. Charlie gathered the cut hair and waved his wand over it. The strands braided together and solidified, appearing like a reddish bronze bracelet. He passed that to Miraphina, too. "Take it. I want you to have a part of me."

She did take it out of his hand, but she put the bracelet, ribbon, and ice all on the table as she stood. Mira moved his chair out of the way and stood in front of him, determination enhancing her facial features. He found it hard to look away as she placed a hand on either side of his face and drew his head down. Her lips tasted waxy and sweet, and her mouth was a candy of its own kind. When she pulled her head back, she rested her forehead against his. "Charlie, I don't want a part of you," Mira breathed. "I want all of you. We're not delicate little things," she added.

So she had known. He opened his eyes. "I love you, Miraphina Atherton."

Mira chuckled. "That's why I was at your door at the most inopportune time." She kissed his lips lightly. "I love you, Charlie Weasley."

He couldn't help it: "Then why did you slap me that time? I kissed you then thinking that you felt the same way, but you kissed me, slapped me, and ran."

She forced a smile. "That one I don't even really understand. All I know is that you really confused me. I hadn't expected it to happen so quickly."

"I'm sorry if I pushed you," Charlie said. "I acted on what I was feeling and what I thought I was feeling from you."

"You thought right, Charlie," Mira confirmed, "but that's not what I meant. I knew something was going to happen."

"You knew I was going to kiss you?" he asked. He was befuddled; even _he_ hadn't really been sure he was going to kiss her that night.

She shook her head, her second bangs teasingly caressing his cheeks. "I knew something was going to happen between us."

"What?"

She sighed and sat down, leading him by the hand to join her at the table. She held onto that hand as she explained. "Back in February, I went to Professor Trelawney for a love reading."

Charlie squinted at her. "But…you were still with Selwyn then. Weren't you?"

"I thought so," Mira said. "I've told you before: He had been kind of disinterested for a while before he left. So I went to Trelawney, looking to the stars for answers about Grant. What she told me was something else entirely.

She dragged out the rune-stones, saying they're better for that sort of thing. That they're more certain. She cast the stones, telling me that the relationship I was in was a childish idea of romance. She proceeded to tell me that my true love, the permanent love of my life, would come into my life soon." Mira told him about Trelawney's rather dead-on description of him, down to their difference in height.

"That's something else," he remarked shakily.

Mira nodded, a pleasant pink settling in her cheeks. "She also told me that when I recognize this man as the one, that I would love him as much as he would love me. It scared me at the time, because I felt like I had no say in my life. But…"

Charlie tugged on her hand, causing one of her pretty pigtails to fall over her shoulder as she leaned forward. He kissed her again, a bit more passionately this time. "She got one part right," the Weasley brother said with a sweet smirk. "I do love you, Mir." And so he let the new life begin.

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**Despite the plot of this chapter, my mind's stuck on one thing… **_**THWACK!**_** HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!! For some reason, I still can't stop laughing about that. What it the timing or am I just crazy?**

**Vote now in a review! (no, really, wasn't it hilarious?)**

**-mew-tsubaki**


	13. 13th Hint, 4th Insinuation

**At the Moment**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

Note: J.K. Rowling's characters are in another companion story to my fics **To the Future**, **From the Past**, and **In the Present**. As usual, there are O.C.s, but duh, because Charlie's with an O.C. Anywho, please enjoy the story and let me know what you think of it in a review. BTW: I don't know how many chapters this'll last, but it will be shorter than the companion stories.

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**The Fourth Insinuation (& the Thirteenth Hint)**

Sunday was coming up roses…or sweet peas.

The world was perfect, breakfast was perfect, life was…_perfect_.

Mira's face was frozen in a grin when she joined Raven, Mavrick, Nigel, Benton, Ginny, and Reaves that morning. It earned her some looks from Raven, but Mira ignored the blonde bitch. Nothing could ruin her mood.

She was in love with Charlie, and Charlie was in love with her.

"I'm sorry, Mira, but I'm afraid we'll have to send you away," Ginny joked as the Hufflepuff hummed a cheery tune. "You're…More-Than-Happy."

"You make it sound as if being in a wonderful mood is a mental retardation," Mira stated.

"Hmm," Raven joined in, "Mira…plus…retardation… Nope…sounds about right."

Though her face twitched, Miraphina didn't glare at the Quidditch Captain. Instead, she just smiled at her. "Did it take all night to practice how to form your sentences, Ravey?" she asked sarcastically.

"Ugh!! You _bitch_!" Raven reached across the table, but Mavrick held her back. "Lemme go! Lemme at her!!"

The rest of them rolled their eyes at the normal cat-and-dog relationship between the two girls. Mira didn't mind that that had incensed Raven a little more than usual. She was in too good of a mood to notice.

"What happened to put you in such good sorts anyway?" Ginny asked. She finished her pumpkin juice and watched Mira over the rim.

Mira, however, shrugged her shoulders and kept smiling. "Just seeing how great life is." _With your brother,_ her inner voice added.

Reaves said something to Ginny, and the redheaded witch laughed. Mira observed this, and it automatically clicked. Not only was Reaves talking with Ginny, but he was flashing her tiny smiles meant only for her, and he was sitting right beside her, but very close. Too close for friends, which Mira thought Ginny and Reaves weren't.

"Ginny, what's this?" Mira inquired.

Ginny looked at her –and her laughter stopped, replaced by a suddenly acquired paleness. "Wh-What do you mean…?"

The brunette flicked her eyes to Reaves. "I mean hi-" Mira didn't even finish saying 'him' when Ginny Silenced her. The redhead motioned her to get up and follow her out of the Great Hall.

When they were near the doors to outside, Ginny undid the spell. "It kinda happened yesterday."

"Wait –you mean –You –He-" Mira stared at Ginny in shock. "Whatever happened to Riu?'

Ginny grimaced. "It's over between us. It has been for a little bit now."

"And Reaves?"

"Sturgis…came to my aid the other day. We talked, he calmed me down after…" Ginny didn't finish that thought; she shook her head instead. "Sturgis is in love with me."

"'Sturgis'?!" Mira repeated. "_What_?!!" she hissed.

"Don't start, Mira," the Weasley daughter begged. "I'm not 'with' him, but I'm glad to have the chance to get to know him as a friend."

Mira looked Ginny up and down. "So the skinny jeans and top that almost make your knockers look as big as mine are just for show?"

If it hadn't been possible before, it was now: Ginny was redder than her violently red hair. "_Mira!!_" she squeaked.

"I'm sorry, but I recall you were going to see Riu yesterday."

"And I did. I did, but… He's so lifeless with all that's hanging over our heads. It makes me angry that he's not even challenging Dumbledore about the separation. I snapped yesterday and ran out to the Quidditch field. I wasn't thinking, I really wasn't, Mira," Ginny added. "I was just up in the air," she said, pantomiming, "swinging at Bludgers, and then one smacked into my right side, cracking my ribs. It knocked me off my broom and I sped downwards. I was way above the field, though."

Mira furrowed her brow. "And you're okay?"

"Because of Sturgis I am. He caught me and took me to the Hospital Wing, where Madam Pomfrey took care of me. When I woke up, he was at my side. We ended up talking about some of the things that have been bothering me, and guess what? It turns out he knew about Sirius and me."

"_What_?!!!"

Ginny nodded. "All that time we thought he'd been glaring at me, he was just observing. He's been in love with me this whole time, and I didn't know it."

Mira scoffed. "Of course you didn't know it. He always glared daggers at you!!"

"I know, I know," the other witch said, still nodding. "And now I've got boy troubles all over again."

The Hufflepuff put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "I'm afraid of what will happen the next time I leave you alone."

"Where were you anyway?" Ginny asked.

"Oh, Dana and Cirdrine got a hold of me for a girls' day in. I escaped 'em later on. Studying, you know." Luckily for Mira, Ginny bought that, because she wasn't sure how Ginny would handle her and Charlie, especially since Ginny really liked Laurel. So…

_Sunday's coming up roses…or sweet peas,_ Mira thought uncomfortably.

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**A lot shorter than 12, but plenty funny and filled with plot. Oh, and the George Carlin reference in there is a tiny shout-out to my sis, lady-kyo.**

**Dedication goes to whoever thinks they can find the George Carlin reference (take a guess in a review)!**

**As always, Charliephina and I lurve you!**

**-mew-tsubaki**

**P.S. –To the two lovely reviewers, christy86 and o0Black-Sand0o, these four chapters are for you! :)**


	14. 14th Hint, 5th Insinuation

**At the Moment**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

Note: J.K. Rowling's characters are in another companion story to my fics **To the Future**, **From the Past**, and **In the Present**. As usual, there are O.C.s, but duh, because Charlie's with an O.C. Anywho, please enjoy the story and let me know what you think of it in a review. BTW: I don't know how many chapters this'll last, but it will be shorter than the companion stories.

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**The Fifth Insinuation (& the Fourteenth Hint)**

"I c-can't believe exams a-are t-two w-weeks from now," Miraphina mentioned to Ginny during Divination two days later. "I-I mean, I was a first year not that long ago! How can I b-be a…_seventh year_?!!" It was weird how that train of thought had returned, but everyone was already trading notes and practicing questions for finals, O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s. Mira was just sucked back into the fact that the end of the year was rapidly approaching.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Exams are going to be a piece of cake compared to everything else in my life right now."

Mira calmed down some, placing her attention on her best friend's worries. "How's Reaves been acting?"

The redhead blushed and cupped her mouth in her hand. "Nothing much has changed," she mumbled. "But he's been there for me more like a l…" She buried her head in her arms, too embarrassed to finish the sentence.

Mira's eyes widened. "Like a _lover_?!" she whispered giddily. "Ooh, how romantic!!"

Ginny bashfully grimaced. "Yes, more like a lover than the guardian angel he had been. Merlin, why does he have to like me?"

"Like? Just how thick is that skull of yours? The way he's been your silent protector –he loves you, Ginny!! Oh, she grew up so fast!" the Hufflepuff teased.

"That's not possible!" Ginny managed without stuttering. "Well, I guess it's possible, but –but illogical! There! It's illogical!!"

"You just can't come to terms with it," Mira corrected, shaking her head.

"Yup." Ginny stared out the window. "Men are like Divination, Mira. You try so hard to figure them out, once you think you've got it, you're screwed. …Erm, not literally. Okay, _some_times, but…"

Miraphina shook her head; she was doing her best to not let her imagination run wild, but she was undressing Charlie with her mind's eye. _Think of all the tattoos I haven't yet seen…_ She came back to her conversation with Ginny. "This weekend's the last Hogwarts trip to Hogsmead. Are you going to patch things up with Sirius, or have a romantic date with Sturgy-boy?"

"I can't even _get_ close enough to Sirius to patch things up with him." The redhead heaved a sigh.

"Sounds like an excuse in favor of Sturge, if you ask me," Mira teased.

"I didn't."

Professor Trelawney sauntered up to them and peered at their scattered set of rune stones. "Hmm… The serpent and the crown… That's interesting. The snake will usurp his father and take his place."

The brunette sniffed. Trelawney was a load of bull…except for the whole Charlie thing. Mira pushed that from the front of her mind. "Yes, I'll let any snake I see know that 'now's the time'." Trelawney walked away and Mira frowned. "A snake will overthrow his da? What kind of nonsense is that?" She looked at Ginny. "You all right, Ginny?"

Ginny had visibly paled. "Yeah…"

The bell rang and the room was filled with chatter. Ginny and Mira made their way to Defense Against the Dark Arts and settled in the back of the room. Their classmates filed in and everyone took out their books, since most of what Professor Lupin gave them was textwork.

"But what if Sturgis asks you out for the trip?" Mira asked, returning to their original subject. "I wonder what you should wear…"

"Stop saying that I'm going on a date with Reaves!!" Ginny hissed. She slapped her own cheeks to get her mind off something; Mira wondered if Ginny was thinking about that date despite all her qualms.

A new voice joined the conversation. "I'm sorry. Did you say Sturgis is in love with you?"

Ginny started. "No one said that, Raven."

The blonde raised an eyebrow. "Then why has he been _smiling_ lately?"

She gulped. "Um…new broomstick?"

"Uh-huh." Raven turned to Miraphina. "What do you have in mind for outfits? I know his favorite color's baby blue."

Mira agreed with Raven for once. "Maybe a cute short-sleeved blouse and a blue skirt? Or maybe… Hmmn… We need to be careful so it doesn't clash with her hair."

Raven nodded vigorously. "Definitely. We'll go light on the makeup, too. A bit of bluish-silver day shadow, a dab of brown mascara, a bit of lippy, and she'll be set."

"But hair up or down? Maybe down. Y'know, all the better to grasp –OUCH!!" Mira glared at Ginny. "I thought you're not going out with him, so why should you care whether or not we're talking clothes and makeup?"

"Class is starting, you idiots!" Ginny told them, and the three girls faced forward.

Professor Lupin gave them a few pages to read with an accompanying worksheet. Mira couldn't concentrate, though. Her mind was full of possible outfits for Ginny's date. _Date in Hogsmeade, date, date…_ Soon Mira was imagining herself on a date in Hogsmeade, running with her arms around one of Charlie's. The air was blowing through their hair and she ran her hand through his short tresses, bringing him down for a deep kiss… She sighed happily. Maybe they couldn't go to Hogsmeade, but Mira wanted to make that small fantasy come true.

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When her first break came, Mira went to the library. The table she typically sat at with Charlie wasn't vacant, much to her dismay, so she set up at a carrel near the corner window. She went to work organizing the many sketches of the rune-stone designs for Divination. Mira was quite lost in her work when someone cleared their throat. It was a deep, familiar voice that spoke.

"Good afternoon, Miss Atherton," Charlie said with a smile. He leaned on the carrel shelf with an elbow and watched her.

Miraphina locked eyes with him, but she was a little more ready for his public approach this time. She slowly put her quill down and sprinkled some sand on her fresh notes. Only then did open her mouth. "Hello, Professor Weasley," she returned with a light and airy grin.

"I see you're working on that assignment I gave you," he stated, looking at her paper.

"But you-" she cut in, wondering why he was so thoroughly confused as it wasn't Care for Magical Creatures work at all.

"You've got that part wrong, though," Charlie continued. He plucked her quill and jotted down a few words on a clean sheet she had set up beside her notes: _Talk on your paper? With people around…_

Mira nodded. "I see what you mean, professor." She took out another quill, dipped it in the ink, and wrote: _Not a bad idea._

_Everything ok? You look tired,_ he scribbled.

_Things are just…interesting,_ the brunette scrawled next. _What brings you around?_

_I think you're aware of what awaits everyone this weekend._

_You mean the end-of-the-year Hogsmeade trip? What about it?_

_Welllll……._ Charlie flicked his eyes back to hers for a brief moment. _Maybe you should take a break and enjoy yourself a bit._

_Are you asking me out? On a date?_

He smiled when she quirked an eyebrow. _If you want to call it that, then I, of course, have no objections,_ he wrote.

Mira teasingly tapped a finger to her chin. _I'll have to think about it…_

Charlie's face showed a little despair. _That's cruel, and you know it._

_Why, yes, I would __love__ to be with you on that day!_ She dotted the exclamation point with a heart and smirked, loving how his cheeks reddened.

"So there you have it," he said aloud. "Good to know you understand."

"Yes, thank you for bringing that particular thing to my attention," Mira said, nodding vigorously. His blush was so cute, she had a hard time not bursting out laughing. "See you, professor."

"See you, Miss Atherton."

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When Charlie returned to his hut, Laurel was there.

"What is it this time?" he asked as he walked past her into his living quarters. He tossed his cloak on his bed and reached to his long ponytail and stopped. He had forgotten that he had cast an Illusion Charm on his hair, since the real strands had been cut off and fashioned into a bracelet for Mira. She had actually been the one to suggest it, so as to not raise suspicion. Laurel still didn't know about it, even.

But Laurel was not angry today. "Something's been bothering me," she said. She sat down at the table and crossed her arms, staring at the floor.

"Don't most things bother you these days?" he asked. He stopped when he realized that had been more snarky than he had intended. But he was usually this way when Laurel dampened his good mood after being with Mira.

Laurel ignored his comment. "Ginevra came to talk to me last period."

Charlie looked at the witch then. "About what?"

"This and that… Many things are troubling her, plenty surrounding Sirius Black-"

Charlie scoffed.

"-and her mate, Grant Selwyn."

The Weasley brother sat down across from Laurel. "She shouldn't worry so much. I told her that he had family business to see to at home. He'll be back. Though it's been a few months, he'll be back."

"But she has a bad feeling about all of this, and she has reason to believe-"

"Laurel," Charlie interrupted, "Ginny's a teenager. She's going to worry over every little thing at this point in her life. You shouldn't let her anxiety reach out and grab a hold of you, as well."

The woman stood. "Wrong, Charles. She's an adult, and when she cries for help, I'll stand on the sideline, telling you that I was right." Without another word, she left, and Charlie frowned.

Things would look better this weekend. Selwyn didn't matter, Ginny's foolishness didn't matter, and Laurel didn't matter. All that did was Mir.

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**OK! Next chappie is the date, but then the plot thickens with 16 and so on, so you may hate me for those ones…but I know you love this story!**

**Please review!! And see you in 15!**

**-mew-tsubaki**


	15. 15th Hint, 6th Insinuation

**At the Moment**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

Note: J.K. Rowling's characters are in another companion story to my fics **To the Future**, **From the Past**, and **In the Present**. As usual, there are O.C.s, but duh, because Charlie's with an O.C. Anywho, please enjoy the story and let me know what you think of it in a review. BTW: I don't know how many chapters this'll last, but it will be shorter than the companion stories.

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**The Sixth Insinuation (& the Fifteenth Hint)**

"I think I'm gonna be sick," Mira commented at lunch that Friday, the day before the last Hogsmead trip.

Raven glanced at her. "Hurl _THAT WAY_!" she exclaimed, pointing away from her and at Nigel.

Nigel turned a sickly shade of green. "H-Hey! No fair!!"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "You'll be fine, Mira."

Miraphina shook her head. "Not true. I mean, look at the quantity of notes amassed just for Potions!!" she complained, waving at her one-inch stack of parchment. "There's no way I'll be able to remember all of this for the Potions N.E.W.T.!"

Mavrick rubbed his eyes and closed his level seven arithmancy text. "I don't even want to hear you whine about Potions…"

"Even History of Magic will be hard," Raven stated, stretching out her arms on the table. "Has anyone paid attention in Binns' class? Have we even learned anything?"

"Don't you have notes to refer to?" Nigel inquired.

Raven stared at him, sighed, and loosed her hair. "Gone are the easy days of O.W.L.s…"

"That's not true!"

The Keeper ignored him. Her eyes flashed wide open and alighted on Ginny. "Seems like you already chased him away."

Ginny frowned. "He's just not at lunch right now. Did it occur to you that he might be doing an assignment?"

"Actually," Mavrick interrupted, "Reaves is working on a paper right now, so Ginny hasn't broken his heart yet."

Her aghast face turned on Raven. "You _told_?! Who else did you tell?!"

"Yeah, I told him, but-" Raven replied.

"I already knew what was running through his mind," Mav interceded. "Sorry, Gin."

The redhead rested her chin on her arms. "Sure, sure…" Her eyes wandered to the staff table. She blinked and hid her face in her arms.

The bell rang, and all the students scurried to reach their next lessons. Mira and Ginny had a break, so Ginny was in no real hurry to leave, but she couldn't tear her eyes off Sirius' desolate figure.

Mira didn't like that look that seemed to be imprinted on Ginny's face. She tugged on the redhead's sleeve. "Gin, are you having second thoughts about Riu?" She furrowed her brow in concern.

Ginny dropped her gaze to the floor. "Yes."

The brunette gnawed on her lip. "I don't want to sound pessimistic, but… If he was really fighting for you guys, wouldn't he retain his devil-may-care attitude and have gotten you two out of this mess by now?"

The Weasley girl didn't reply, so Mira started talking with Raven. "We still should prepare in case Sturgis does ask her out for to Hogsmeade, so you guys need to smuggle me into the Gryffindor girls' dormitories. Then we can start our planning."

Ginny rejoined their conversation from la-la land. "Wha-?! Why are you planning on-?!"

Mira and Raven hooked their arms through Ginny's, grinning impishly. "We've got to go through your wardrobe to lay out your outfit for tomorrow's date, of course!" Raven stated.

Ginny blushed furiously. "I told you, I'm not-"

"Ah! There you are!!"

Sturgis came jogging towards them, and Ginny turned around, unlinking from Mira and Rave, and stepped towards him. He was out of breath. "Were you looking for me?"

"Yes, I-" His lips transformed from a smile to a flat line as he glared at eavesdropping Mira and Raven. Sturgis placed a hand on Ginny's shoulder and led her a few meters away. He spoke in rushed, hushed tones. "I was hoping you would consider going with me on tomorrow's Hogsmead trip," Mira and Raven heard him say. After all, there's nothing wrong with eavesdropping.

They couldn't see Ginny's reaction, but Miraphina was sure it was priceless. "Eh –ah, as in, a date?"

"Exactly like a date." With no prying ears and eyes around (unbeknownst to him, Mira and Raven had full view of this interaction from behind a pillar), he gave her his true, warm smile…

…which melted Ginny's buttery legs. Without giving it more than half a minute's thought, she excitedly answered, "I'd love to!"

Sturgis' smile was infectious, and she glowed from his warmth. Just then, the second bell rang, and they noticed how quiet the halls were. Sturgis chuckled. "The first time I've been late my whole life… Well, if I'm already tardy-" He kissed the top of her head. Raven had to clamp a hand on Mira's mouth when the Hufflepuff almost squealed in delight. "Later, Ginevere." The sixth year backed off, and sprinted down the corridor.

Ginny turned around. "You can stop hiding now," she called out.

Raven's grin was triumphant. "_Now_ may we use our break to plan for tomorrow?"

"Thought you'd never ask!!" She ran ahead and linked her arms through theirs again, and the three girls ran all the way to the Gryffindor Common Room.

Raven raced ahead Ginny and hauled the redhead's trunk out from underneath her bed. She grunted. "Jesus, Joseph, and Mary! What do you have in here?!"

"No, wait!! Don't-!"

But Raven had already unlatched the lid and was dumping the contents onto Ginny's bed. She spread things out and laughed. "What, do you have all of your belongings here?"

"Yes, I do."

The room went deathly quiet. Raven didn't blink and Miraphina released a nervous scoff, suddenly very uncomfortable. "You're kidding, right? Aren't you going back home after graduation?" That was what Mira was planning, but… Now that she thought of things and Charlie, she wondered for the first time what she really would do after Hogwarts.

Ginny stuffed some family photos back into a notebook. "I decided before the school year began that I wouldn't return to the Burrow. I'll live on my own after school. If I save up enough money, I'll travel. But I won't go back home." She wasn't looking at them.

Silence filled the room again. "I don't know if you like Brighton," Raven mumbled, fidgeting with her skirt," but you could always stay with my family. I wouldn't mind sharing my room with a sister."

"Me, too," Miraphina added. "I live in Devon, but I'm an only child, so I think my parents would love to have you."

"And if you stay with me," Raven commented, "I'm sure my brothers wouldn't mind either. After all, you grew up with six, so you're plenty used to high levels of testosterone."

They laughed at that, and Ginny laughed so hard that tears came to her eyes. But the laughter subsided, and the tears came out. "Guys…!" She pulled them into a group hug.

"Ew. I knew I shouldn't have anything," Raven retorted. "Now you've gone all emotional on us."

Ginny smiled and dried her eyes. "But you wouldn't have it any other way."

"'Course not!" her friends said in unison.

Mira looked through the clothes, determined to get Ginny's mind off her family. A second later, her eyes lit up. "Perfect!" Raven agreed with her choice and Ginny shuddered when she realized that she was basically their doll.

----------------------------------------------------------- ^-^3

Finally, Saturday morning had come. Hogsmeade.

Mira woke up early and took her time. She had already told Ginny and Raven to enjoy some time with their boyfriends, and she had also managed to talk Dana and Cirdrine out of capturing her again. It was the perfect day.

…_The perfect day to spend with Charlie._

And she really could have today to herself. She and Raven had picked out a sleek black tee, a baby blue miniskirt that left plenty for the imagination, a pale denim jacket that was almost white, pantyhose, and a set of chunky-heeled mary-janes that resembled Ginny's school shoes but were more comfortable. They had her wear her hair down and apply just a tad of lip gloss, to be simple enough with a hint of allure. Mira was sure Sturgis would love it.

_Like I said, though, easy-to-grab hair,_ she chuckled as she dressed in jeans and a T-shirt while recalling playing around with Ginny's hair. The brunette stared at her own reflection in the bathroom. _Easy-to-grab hair, huh?_ She crimsoned and pulled her hair into a low ponytail that she brought over her shoulder. _Maybe some other time…_

Mira took her time with breakfast. It was nice not being part of the Hogsmeade crowd for once, but she admitted that her morning meal was a little lonely. At school, she was used to having company, despite the lonely monotony at home since both of her parents worked.

Once she was done, she went back to her room and finished her homework for Muggle Studies, Mineralogy, and Defense Against the Dark Arts. By the time she was done, it was the middle of the afternoon. _A good time to go as any,_ she told herself, and she left the castle.

Outside it was breezy and the sky was tinged gray, but the sun was out and shining, bringing a dose of warmth to the day. With everyone third years and up at Hogsmeade and almost all the underclassmen busy studying, there were few students around to see her. Miraphina reached Charlie's in fairly record time, her nerves pounding blood through her veins. Although, when she was around him or thinking of him, she noticed she tended to have that reaction all the time.

Hesitantly, she knocked on his door, not wanting a repeat of that last time. But today was not that day.

Charlie stepped outside, a wide grin on his face. "We got it right today, didn't we?" he said with a laugh, and he gently pushed her forehead where she had gotten a bump.

She involuntarily touched her nose. "I don't think my nose can take it again."

He kissed the tip of her nose. "There. All better. It's healed from last time and also has protection from a repeat of that." He laughed when she blushed furiously. "Maybe I should do that more often."

"…Maybe."

He shook his head and walked around the side of the hut, Mira close behind. He was in jeans and a T-shirt, too, but Mira felt a little plain next to him. Charlie… Though only nine years older than her, he was well-weathered from his experiences, much the man he was. _I doubt he'd like hearing it, but he…he's beautiful, in a rugged way._

"So are we leaving for Hogsmeade or…?" Mira asked. As usual, she fought to keep up with his long strides.

"No. Shouldn't risk it." Charlie stopped and waited while she caught her breath. "I can't really take you out somewhere, either," he said, frowning for second, but he brightened up immediately and held out his hand. "But I have something in mind."

Mira took his hand, relishing its heat. "What would that be?"

"The Black Lake's typically dangerous, but the area near the docks on the other side is okay. Besides, you'll be with me."

"Ack! We're going swimming?!" She punched him in the arm. "Why didn't you tell me?! I'm not dressed for that!!"

He raised his eyebrows. "Well… We could still swim," the wizard began with a smirk.

She punched his arm again, the red in her cheeks deepening. "We are _not_ going _skinny-dipping_, you git!!" she hissed.

Charlie laughed hard. "I'm kidding, kidding. You can go and change now that you know, Mir."

Mira frowned at him. "You're awful, Charlie."

"Eh, you love me."

"That I do." They reached the docks then, and the wind blew Mira's hair around. She shivered a little. "It's kinda chilly for swim- What are you doing?!"

Charlie paused with his arms in mid-motion, his T-shirt right below his chin. He looked around as if she had asked someone else. "Um, taking off my shirt so it doesn't get wet?"

"You couldn't have waited until I turned around?!"

"Mir, I'm a guy. It's a little different if I'm shirtless." He pulled the fabric over his head and smiled at her. "Besides, you know you wanted to see my manly chest."

The Hufflepuff rolled her eyes. "I'll be right back, Macho Man." Mira walked back from the docks to his hut. She slipped inside and drew her wand. "_Accio swimsuit!_" It took a couple of minutes before her bathing suit appeared in her hand. Mira frowned at what the spell had brought her (a bikini), but she changed anyway. She slipped her clothes on over her suit and made her way back. Charlie was already in the water.

"Making yourself pretty?" Charlie shouted up at her.

Mira knelt down at the edge. "You get only the best."

He swam up to the ladder and climbed up. "Mir, you can't make yourself any more beautiful. You know that, right?"

"Someone turned on the clichés, didn't they?" The witch loosed her hair. "It isn't freezing, is it?"

"How about I push you in so you find out?" Charlie teased. He walked towards her with his hands poised for a good shove.

"Come any closer and you'll get it," Mira warned.

"You have to enjoy yourself at some point today," he stated with a shrug. He was inches away from her now.

"You know, you're right." He took another step, she backed up, and he crashed into the water. She looked down at him with a smirk. "I _did_ enjoy that."

Charlie tsked. "Brat."

He swam a little bit away then, so Miraphina took the opportunity to remove her shirt and slip out of her jeans. She grasped the bars on the ladder and slowly climbed down, testing the water when she was in range. _It's not too bad, _she thought. Then she felt an arm snake around her waist and drag her in. She screamed and sucked in a lungful of air, resurfacing a minute later. The witch turned around and glared at her love. "Not funny, Charlie!!"

The professor chuckled and kissed her, taking away some of that anger. "I just wanted you with me sooner, is all. By the way, you tossed your shirt so elegantly."

She gasped. "You looked!"

"I'm glad I peeked." He pulled her into another kiss and held onto her by her waist. "It's a glimpse of what the not-so-soon future holds," Charlie murmured in her ear. He backed off, his face a little pink like hers from his comment.

_Considering you're half-naked right now, that's not really helping,_ Mira thought. She brushed her hair away from her face. Charlie had been right about the water at least; while the weather was breezy, the water was pleasantly warm. The brunette looked down into the green water. "So how come we're not being harmed?"

"Charms," Charlie answered, shaking his short hair. He rubbed some droplets from his eyes. "Just a small rigging so we aren't bothered. We can't float out of the safety net either, so you can relax."

She swam to him and hugged him. "I can relax right here, though," she mumbled into his chest.

A moment of silence passed. "Relaxation… It's been hard to come by."

Mira nodded. "I feel…I feel like we're not going to get much of this time. That something's going to happen." She flicked her green eyes up to his blue ones. "It's like nothing will ever settle."

Charlie's smile wavered, but he kept it on. "I'm a little stressed, too, but I think it's because the end of the year is around the corner. I don't know what will happen after graduation."

She sensed something in his tone. _Something unsure… About us?_ "I have the same feeling," Mira uttered.

"Don't worry about it," the wizard said. He kissed her softly on the lips. "Whatever it is, we'll get through it. Whatever it is, I'll protect you."

"Charlie," Mira laughed, "you can't be with me twenty-four/seven. You won't always be there to protect me."

He caught her in another kiss, this one more heated, more passionate, and bordering on the edge of crazy. "Mir, I _will_ protect you."

"Okay, I get it, I get it…" She grabbed his chin for one more quick snog and then smiled at him. Mira snuggled into his chest. "Keep me warm?"

"Of course."

----------------------------------------------------------- ^-^3

Mira went back to Charlie's hut after they were done swimming. They had used their wands to dry themselves and their clothes off, but Mira still felt a tad icky. _I'll take a real shower when I go back_.

Inside his place, she sat by the fire while he took out some food. "What are you hungry for?"

"I dunno," the brunette replied. "I was hungry a while ago, but I'm not much now."

"Mir, you've got to eat something," he chided, sitting at the table. He munched on a biscuit. "You didn't have lunch, did you?"

She shook her head. "No, too much homework." She sighed and stood. "The end of the year always takes a lot out of me, which is god-awful because after exams there's nothing to do. It almost feels like all the effort had been useless."

"But it isn't once you get your marks."

"I guess not." Mira played with a strand of her hair. "But there's also more to life than good marks."

"Of course," Charlie agreed with a smirk. "There's me."

She half-smiled and sat on the edge of his bed. "Has anyone ever told you you're full of yourself?"

He shook his head. "Or it might be that I just wasn't listening."

"'Course…" Mira leaned back, suddenly very groggy. The comforter was so soft and the pillow was so plush… Everything smelled like Charlie… Before she knew it, she turned on her side, her head on the pillow with one arm underneath it. The pillow was as soft as his lips on her cheek.

"I'll wake you up in a little bit, love," he chuckled softly in her ear as he brushed his lips on her cheek again.

One thought floated into Mira's mind: _…The perfect day spent with Charlie._

----------------------------------------------------------- ^-^3

**Okay, that was a lot of fluff, even for me. *slaps back of head, Gibbs-style* (NCIS joke, folks {LOVE IT!}) Anywho, I really like this chapter, because we get some more time with just Mir and Charlie. I think it makes it more special and kinda deepens what we've seen they have. But… You're probably going to hate the next chapter if you love the two so much, even those who have read ****To the Future**** (specifically ch.23).**

**Oh, well… **_**BOOM!!!**_** (a kinda hint)**

**REVIEW!!!**

**-mew-tsubaki**


	16. 16th Hint, 7th Insinuation

**At the Moment**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

Note: J.K. Rowling's characters are in another companion story to my fics **To the Future**, **From the Past**, and **In the Present**. As usual, there are O.C.s, but duh, because Charlie's with an O.C. Anywho, please enjoy the story and let me know what you think of it in a review. BTW: I don't know how many chapters this'll last, but it will be shorter than the companion stories.

----------------------------------------------------------- ^-^3

**The Seventh Insinuation (& the Sixteenth Hint)**

Merlin, she was adorable.

Charlie awoke the next day and lazed in bed. It still smelled of Mira, you know. That ink and candy scent clung to the sheets and pillow.

He loved it.

Well, nothing had happened. Miraphina had merely fallen asleep on his bed. Three hours later, he decided not to wake her. Instead, he had cast an Illusion Charm on her so he could carry her to the Hufflepuff Common Room. Of course, _then_ he had to wake her up before he put her on her feet, but she had clung to him a little longer before pulling away for one more sweet kiss and then disappearing into Hufflepuff territory.

Then he had gone back to his hut, where he worked some. After dinner in the Great Hall, he returned once more to his living space, where he slept peacefully and Laurel-free. He slept on top of that blanket on which Mira had napped, and her scent flooded his senses.

He loved it.

It was actually quite hard for Charlie to move now. He didn't want the scent to fade, but his stomach grumbled, and he knew he didn't have any breakfast food in the cupboards. He rolled out of bed, dressed in casual teacher-wear, and headed up to the castle. Even his cloak smelled of her.

And he loved it.

----------------------------------------------------------- ^-^3

Mira awoke very groggily. She rubbed the sand out of her eyes and stretched before she sat up. _Oh… That's right. I'm back in the Hufflepuff girls' dormitories…_

The brunette got up and dressed. That had been quite the outing yesterday. In fact, it completely blew all of the Hogsmeade trips she'd ever had out of the water. It blew all of her seventeen birthdays out of the water.

_Charlie, Charlie, Charlie, Chalie, Chalie, Chalie…_ She paused while yanking on her jeans. _Oh, crap. Me accent's affectin' even me thoughts!!!_

Miraphina shook herself and breathed. She had to calm down before joining her friends for breakfast.

_Though I would rather have breakfast alone with Charlie._

She smiled to herself, though, as she headed to the Great Hall. Mavrick, Nigel, Derrov, and Sturgis were already at the table. She said hi and sat down, sifting through a bowl of fruit. She had an appetite today, she just didn't know what to eat first. She stood up when Ginny and Raven arrived.

"Good morning, Ginny, Raven!" she said cheerfully. Yep. She was even being nice to Raven. What could she say? She was in such a damn terrific mood from being with Charlie yesterday.

Raven was definitely taken aback. "Don't you have exams to fret about?"

Mira forced a smile. Okay, there was only so much of Raven that she could take. "It's good to take a break every once-in-a-while, Crowley, that way you don't form too many wrinkles. Oh, are those crows' feet I see?"

The Quidditch captain involuntarily felt the corners of her eyes. She glared at Mira. "That's not funny!!"

Mira laughed and saw Ginny roll her eyes. Ginny walked over to a smiling Sturgis and gave him a deep kiss. He smiled even more. Wolf whistles and cat calls surrounded them, and Mira and their other friends laughed.

"Finally went public, eh?" Mavrick poked.

"Just a kiss? Aren't you at least going to sit in his lap?" Mira inquired, disappointed.

Raven looked at them speculatively. "I'm sure there's more in store for the birthday boy behind the scenes."

They all glared at her. "_Raven__!!!_"

"Can't we just eat breakfast?" Derrov piped up.

Nigel laughed. "I agree; I'm starving!"

Just as they moved to sit, there was a flutter of wings and a cacophony of caws and screeches. A hurricane of owls flew in through the Great Hall's window. Morning mail was here.

An ebony hunting owl dropped a gift bag containing new scrunchies off to Raven, Mav received a study guide from his parents, and Ginny breathed a sigh of relief when she realized that her family owl wasn't flailing about. Yet a mysterious gray-spotted owl dropped a box into an unsuspecting Miraphina's hands.

Ginny blinked. "It doesn't have a return address."

"And it's not my family's owl," Mira stated. She set it beside her plate on the table and went to undo the dark umber bow. Who had sent this to her? She didn't usually get things from her parents. What was the special occasion?

Sturgis gripped her wrists, stopping her. "Are you sure that's a good idea? It could have powerful magic."

Mira glanced at him skeptically. "If it was something bad, then it wouldn't have gotten through to me," she countered. Thwarted, he released her and sat back down, and Mira slipped the bow off the gift. "See? Nothing happened." She touched the flaps and opened it –and there was a catastrophic explosion.

----------------------------------------------------------- ^-^3

Charlie had been talking with McGonagall when he heard the _**BOOM!**_ The sound resounded in the Great Hall and echoed in his ears, along with students' screams. Sirius was the first up, his chair knocked backwards onto the floor. Remus, Dumbledore, and McGonagall followed suit, and Charlie stood with the rest of the staff.

There was a lot of dust and debris clouding the Gryffindor table. Charlie's heart sank and his pulse kicked into overdrive when he realized it was the spot where Mir and Ginny usually sat with their other friends.

The Hogwarts staff scrambled down from their table while the dust and smoke cleared and Charlie saw it.

Mira fell to the floor.

She hadn't even screamed. She hadn't even the chance to.

Ginny did. "_**MIRA**__**!!!!!**_"

----------------------------------------------------------- ^-^3

**Sorry. A lot shorter than what I've been writing, but I really wanted to leave it at this point. See what I meant when I said you'd hate this chapter? I know, I know, how could I do this to them after such an awesome date, but this is all part of the storyline. BTW: The next few chapters are probably going to mainly be Charlie chapters, I haven't decided yet.**

**You know, you should review. Charlie needs some consoling right now.**

**Thank you!**

**-mew-tsubaki**


	17. 17th Hint, 8th Insinuation

**At the Moment**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

Note: J.K. Rowling's characters are in another companion story to my fics **To the Future**, **From the Past**, and **In the Present**. As usual, there are O.C.s, but duh, because Charlie's with an O.C. Anywho, please enjoy the story and let me know what you think of it in a review. BTW: I don't know how many chapters this'll last, but it will be shorter than the companion stories.

* * *

**The Eighth Insinuation (& the Seventeenth Hint)**

How could this have happened?

It was only yesterday that he had sworn to protect her. And she had swatted that idea away, saying that he couldn't be with her 'round the clock.

Why had she said that? Why? It only jinxed them.

And now Charlie was so distraught, so scared of losing her, that he couldn't even cry the tears he wanted to.

Mira… Explosion… Collapsed…

_How could this have happened?_

It was the question on everyone's mind. They'd had the Great Hall evacuated, and now Charlie was with most of the other teachers there, assessing the damage.

"How the _hell_ could this have happened?" Sirius roared once the Great Hall had been evacuated. Today, Charlie didn't blame him. Though he still didn't approve of Sirius and Ginny together, Charlie understood how Sirius felt that his love had been injured. But Mira had not merely been injured.

Remus kicked a distorted tray amidst the debris. "I dunno, mate."

"Ginny and her friends were the only ones hurt," Neville stated, picking up a partially-blasted piece of fruit and tossing it.

"How did something get into the school, though?" Charlie thought aloud. If he ever found who sent that mother-fucking package to Mir, the Ministry of Magic would have to come up with a better punishment for Charlie than Azkaban and a death sentence combined, because he would torture and obliterate that person.

Flitwick sat down at the Ravenclaw table. "The owls are all supposed to be checked!" he squeaked. "Checked! Does this look like anyone checked the mail?!"

"Owls are a ruddy way of gittin' the mails thru," Filch groused, standing guard at the Great Hall's entrance.

"The method of communication does not matter right now," Snape stated. "What matters is that we find what exploded." And he was right. His eyes scanned the floor up and down, looking for whatever he had missed.

"I think this is it!" Sirius called to the others, and Charlie's heart jumped into his throat. The other teachers and Filch approached the item in question: the remnants of a pale green box on top of a tattered chocolate brown ribbon. "This was the package Atherton got from the owl this morning. She had just opened the flaps when it went off, sending dirt, dust, and debris everywhere."

_He must've been watching Ginny,_ the Weasley brother thought. _Merlin, why hadn't I been watching Mir? She had said that she felt like something was going to happen. …Damn it, why did she have to be right about that and my not being able to protect her?!!!_

"We've got to get it out of here," Remus said, and he, Sirius, and Snape worked a few containment spells to lift the present up and had Filch carry it away. Flitwick stayed behind with the others to magically trace any leftover bits of spells, but they came up clean. The attack had been restrained to that one box.

Dumbledore and McGonagall returned as the rest were fixing the Great Hall. The headmaster's grave look stopped all of them where they were, and Charlie wondered if his heart was beating at all. "Miss Crowley and Miss Atherton are in an unstable condition, too critical to move them right now. Madam Pomfrey is attending to them, but she does not know the source of the ailment. Can anyone provide some insight?"

"We only just found the box, Albus," Flitwick piped up. "Remus, Sirius, and Severus have made it somewhat safe and Argus moved it, but we don't know what _it_ is yet."

"Are the others all right?" Remus asked.

Charlie blinked. How could he be so stupid? He had to worry about Ginny, too. She had been hurt in that explosion along with her friends. But Mira… _An unstable condition…_ He squinted his eyes shut and focused on the conversation to steady himself.

"They've only suffered minor injuries," McGonagall answered. "I say we interview them to find out what happened firsthand."

"An excellent point, headmaster," Snape commented, nodding to Dumbledore.

"Very well," Dumbledore said. "Leave the hall as is. We shall see Miss Weasley and her friends in the Hospital Wing."

* * *

Along the way, one of the paintings told Dumbledore that Raven Crowley and Mira were stable enough that Madam Pomfrey was with the other kids. Dumbledore gave his thanks and marched on, McGonagall whispering to him urgently on one side and Snape angrily lost in his own world on the other. Charlie conversed with Flitwick and Neville ahead of Remus and Sirius, and Filch followed behind them.

"That was really scary," Neville stated.

"Don't state the obvious," Charlie said through gritted teeth. It was little comfort to hear that Mir was stable now. He could feel it: She was in pain and suffering too much.

"I'm sure Ginny's fine," Flitwick commented when they were right outside the Hospital Wing.

Charlie blinked. "Gin… Yeah…"

They entered the Hospital Wing and Dumbledore went straight to Ginny. He gave her a worried smile after glancing at all of them. "I am glad to see all of you are well."

_No they aren't, _Charlie thought with a disgusted look. The black boy, Mavrick Morris, one of the Gryffindor Quidditch team's Beaters, winced as he leaned forward; it looked like he had a broken wrist, and the rest looked rather beaten. "What about Raven?" Morris asked in a rushed tone.

"And Miraphina, too," Reaves, the other Chaser, added.

Charlie and the rest watched Dumbledore purse his lips. "I'm afraid Miss Crowley and Miss Atherton have suffered terribly, but they are alive. We were hoping that the five of you could help us piece the events together."

"Do you have any idea who sent a package to Miss Atherton?" McGonagall inquired.

Ginny shook her head. "It was unmarked. Sturgis suggested it might be foolish to open it, but Mira stated that it wouldn't have reached her if it contained Dark Magic. She undid the bow and nothing happened. It exploded when she actually opened the box." Her eyes were wet, but she didn't cry. "What was in the box?"

Dumbledore worded his response carefully. "We are not sure yet, but Mr. Filch has secured the item and the professors Snape, Lupin, Black, Weasley, and Longbottom are going to dissect its remains." At that, he motioned to those five and they shuffled out of the Hospital Wing. Ginny averted her eyes when both Charlie and Sirius tried making eye contact, but Charlie sucked it up and continued on with the four.

Back on the restricted third floor corridor, a magical cage stood, and Neville, Charlie, Sirius, Remus, and Snape stared at it. The shoddy box lay in wait inside.

"I guess we should test it first," Sirius said to Remus. He drew his wand. "Ready?"

Remus produced his own wand. "After you."

The two of them tried nearly every offensive and defensive spell they could think of. They even tried a few suggestions from the other three. However, it was not responding to incantations.

"I don't know about touching it," the werewolf stated, "but it seems pretty harmless right now."

"Fool, of course it _seems_ harmless," Snape retorted with a sneer. "But that doesn't mean anything."

"Hold on, there's something inside it," Sirius interrupted. He knelt down and turned off the cage. "It's a powder." The Animagus reached out.

"Don't touch it!!" the other four professors bellowed. Merlin, was he really that stupid?!!

Sirius winced. "It's a dry potion, I think."

"Oh, joy," Snape remarked, rolling his eyes.

"We should help you determine the ingredients," Charlie said, gesturing to him and Neville. "I don't think I've ever heard of a potion with simple enough ingredients to do what it did to Raven and Mira."

Remus put the barrier back up. "We should see Dumbledore first," he suggested. "Catch him up on things."

The others mumbled in agreement and left the corridor, leaving Sirius and Remus a bit behind to chat. Charlie walked with Neville behind Snape as they made their way to the headmaster's office. Inside, Dumbledore sat at his desk while McGonagall stood to his left.

"Yes, professors?" Dumbledore asked.

"Dry potion," Charlie stated.

"We must test the powder right away," Snape stated. "Its effects may wear off if given enough time to do so."

"And it's got to have some odd ingredients to do what it did to Miss Crowley and Miss Atherton," Neville interjected.

The headmaster nodded. "The three of you should begin this investigation right away." He waved them off and Charlie, Neville, and Snape went back to the third floor to take a sample.

On the way to Snape's classroom, Charlie grimaced. He knew it was important to solve this mystery, but he wanted so badly to check on Mira. It kept replaying in his mind, her body dropping to the floor. Over and over again, he saw it. And then he'd heard Ginny's scream of '_**MIRA**__**!!!!!**_', too. He forced down the bile that arose in his throat.

"Charlie, are you all right?" Neville asked, closing the door behind them.

He absent-mindedly half-nodded and frowned. "I will be." Well, he hoped so.

* * *

"Okaaaaaaayyyy…," Charlie drew out late into the night. He squeezed his eyes shut before opening them again. It was so late that it was already morning. "Where do we stand?"

"Kelpie grass and nixie scales are two ingredients," Neville answered, yawning.

Snape pinched the bridge of his nose in exhaustion. "This last step, though… It's being rather troublesome."

Charlie cracked his neck. That didn't help much. He still had another crick on the other side… "We've managed to pull out those ingredients so far. Why is it-"

"Hold your tongue," the Potions teacher interrupted. He suddenly stood as the brew in front of him bubbled and overflowed. Snape drew his wand and waved away the excess concoction. "We have an answer."

Neville and Charlie stood, too, and peered into the small cauldron Snape used. The liquid was golden and very transparent, almost clear. Neville's eyes widened. "I remember that potion- It's-"

"-Felix Felicis," Snape finished. His already black eyes darkened as he gazed at the potion.

Charlie furrowed his brow. "What is it?"

"'Liquid Luck'," the greasy black bat retorted, cleaning up. "It's a potion to increase the taker's luck, ensuring one perfect day. It's hard to brew and can be fatal if the maker isn't careful."

"So the maker wasn't careful?" the Weasley brother asked.

He and Neville followed Snape to his bookshelf. "Quite the opposite. The potion-maker knew what he was doing. The Felix Felicis was perfect. No, that's not our problem." Snape removed two books and flipped through the heavier one. "It's here somewhere…"

Charlie picked up the other book. "What are we looking for?"

"A cross-reference for Felix, or the word Caradoc," the Potions master replied. Snape flipped through several pages at a time and stopped. "Never mind. I found it." After skimming the paragraph, he passed the book to Charlie. "We must see the headmaster right away."

Charlie read as they sped to Dumbledore's. The paragraph explained about a potion called Caradoc's Reprisal, named for a Dark Wizard who despised Muggle-borns. He came up with a potion that targeted only Muggle-borns. One part kelpie's mane to four parts ground nixie scales formed the basis of the poison. When simmered in Felix Felicis, the powder absorbed some of the lucky potion's qualities, such as increased luck. But the increased luck increased aim; it specified the victim, namely Muggle-borns. Charlie's stomach churned. How much of this had Mira breathed?

It was like he was in somebody else's body. He listened to Snape catch Dumbledore up. He saw Dumbledore send word to Madam Pomfrey as how to treat Crowley and Mira. He heard Dumbledore dismiss them, and Charlie numbly returned to his hut.

This had been a nightmare come true.

* * *

**So there you have it. Nicely done, no? You know, after writing this scene twice before, only **_**now**_** do I have a name for the potion. I feel incredibly stupid for it, but whatever. It's still a deadly mix. So…will Mira make it? *dun, dun, dun* Eh, some of you guys already know the answer, but don't spoil it now!**

**And don't forget to REVIEW!!!**

**-mew-tsubaki**


	18. 18th Hint, 9th Insinuation

**At the Moment**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

Note: J.K. Rowling's characters are in another companion story to my fics **To the Future**, **From the Past**, and **In the Present**. As usual, there are O.C.s, but duh, because Charlie's with an O.C. Anywho, please enjoy the story and let me know what you think of it in a review. BTW: I don't know how many chapters this'll last, but it will be shorter than the companion stories.

* * *

**The Ninth Insinuation (& the Eighteenth Hint)**

Somehow, Charlie made it through Monday. Ginny wouldn't talk to him, but he kept watch over her, partially because he was just being a big brother, partially because he was guilt-ridden over not saving Mira.

He couldn't believe he had been so stupid.

A stray thought occurred to him during one of his classes. Laurel had said Ginny had gone to her, worried about Selwyn's absence. Laurel had said that Ginny had reason to believe-

Believe what?

He had cut Laurel off that time. He had brushed it off, saying that Ginny was a teenage girl. Ginny was bound to always be worrying about _something_.

Now he felt truly stupid.

But something in his gut told him that this was related to Grant Selwyn. He remembered the note the headmaster had sent all of Selwyn's teachers, saying that the Slytherin had to return home to take care of something and was therefore excused for a temporary, indefinite leave. Any work he missed would be made up at a later time. And Charlie, likes the other teachers, had moved on and carried on with their classes as normal.

But something in his gut told him that this was related to Grant Selwyn. Slytherins were always bad news, especially the purebloods.

Monday night, Charlie passed a desperate-looking middle-aged couple on his way upstairs. He watched them over his shoulder as he walked on, hearing bits of their conversation.

"…okay… Dumbledore said we could rest in a guest room he had prepared especially for us," the man said.

"No! No… …don't want to… …don't need…rest… She…," the wife blubbered. Her tears were as red as a rabbit's from crying.

"…said, okay… Laura, we can't… …'s different from…"

The wife glared at him as they went onto the next flight, getting farther from Charlie, almost on the edge of his hearing range. "Gerry! Miraphina's our _daughter_! I want to _do_ something!"

"We can't. We're Muggle; she's a witch. She'll pull through, Laura. She always does."

Charlie's pace slowed. He had been up on his way to see Mir, but her parents looked so forlorn… Wasn't she awake yet? If she wasn't awake more than a day later, that could only mean one thing.

Why wasn't she awake yet?!

He loped silently the rest of the way to the Hospital Wing, his exhaustion from last night wiped by his worry over Mira. When he reached his destination he breathed a sigh of relief, for Madam Pomfrey disappeared right as he entered. He peeked inside and found only one cot in the middle, near a window, was occupied.

Mira was sleeping peacefully by how she looked. Her dark brown hair was a bit of a mess under her shoulders, and the chestnut-highlighted side parts of her second bangs curved around her face, almost framing it. Her bangs fell gently over her eyelashes. She truly looked peaceful.

Charlie sat down, his eyes not leaving her face. Merlin, he would give anything to see those eyelids flutter open and reveal her pale green eyes. At one point her eyelids _did_ flutter, but she didn't look back up at him. He finally settled for the answer that she was dreaming.

It was like everything cheery and happy had been sucked out of the room, out of the world. Mira was so bubbly and optimistic that Charlie could easily forget his troubles to take a minute and relax with her. Now, with her here but not here, he realized that.

It had to be the most bittersweet thing in his life.

The wizard hung his head while leaning forward on his elbows. Was something always going to screw up his happiness? When he was with Laurel, they fought in the Second Great War and he lost a lot of his family. With Laurel, she wanted kids at a time he didn't want a family. With Mira… With Mira, he found love and excitement and the good things in everyday life, and now she was comatose.

_Ruddy luck, Charlie,_ he told him self as he leaned on his love's cot. _The only factor here is you. Are you the obstacle in the way of true happiness?_

* * *

Tuesday morning was a kind of late one for Charlie. He slept in and missed breakfast, but he had no appetite. He wasn't sure when he next would.

Classes moved by fast, funnily enough. The first, second, and third years weren't all that bad today, either. It seemed like the kids could feel Charlie's mood and adapted well to it. No one wanted to see him blow up. And none of the other classes did, too, but he noticed some absences.

In his class of fourth years, some boy named Derrov Benton was missing. The named sounded familiar to Charlie, but he couldn't place where… Of the fifth years, Nigel Creevey was absent.

_Wait. That kid's familiar,_ the Care for Magical Creatures professor thought. He paused while walking around checking the fifth years' work on handling fire salamanders. _He's… He's the Gryffindor Quidditch team's Seeker._ Charlie shook himself; an eerie feeling crawled up his spine.

He nudged a Ravenclaw boy. "Do you know Derrov Benton?" he asked the kid.

"You mean the Gryffindor Beater? What about him?"

"Nothing… It's…nothing." Charlie walked away, though, the creepy feeling deepening.

Of the sixth years, the Gryffindor Chaser Sturgis Reaves was absent. Charlie had the seventh year's –Ginny's class –last. He only prayed that his sister was there.

But when last period rolled around and Charlie saw how sparse the group was, his stomach sank. He couldn't think. He gave the class the time to work on an essay while he apprehensively scanned the heads for that shock of red hair. It wasn't there. It was nowhere to be found.

Where was Ginny?

As soon as the last class was over, Charlie forgot his students and sped up to the castle. His heart pounded in his ears, his arms pumped at his sides. Charlie went straight to the headmaster's office.

Dumbledore saw him along the way. "Charles," he acknowledged.

"Headmaster, Ginny- She's-"

"I know, I have my own suspicions." He extended his arm. "Please join me in my office."

Charlie's anxiety only increased as the two wizards went to Dumbledore's office. He didn't even wait for the door to be closed. "What the hell's happening around here?!"

Dumbledore frowned. "Ginevra and several of her friends have left school grounds-"

"_What_?!"

"-along with Sirius Black."

Now Charlie was seeing red. "_WHAT_?!!" he bellowed. He stomped over to the headmaster's desk and slammed a fist down on it. "With _HIM_?!!"

"Charles, I would ask that you refrain from letting your emotions get the better of you." Dumbledore bore into him with his bespectacled blue eyes. "I invite you to sit down."

Grimacing but not knowing what else to do, he obeyed. He clenched and unclenched his fists a few times before speaking. "Why is my sister gone, and why is _he_ with her?"

The elder man watched him carefully. "I can only speculate that Sirius went with her. Considering the events of Sunday, I am not at all surprised that Ginny and her friends left to take matters into their own hands. I am sure they used the Floo Network in my office to get to Grant Selwyn's manor."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait. _Your_ fireplace?"

"I'm sure Sirius broke in here with Mr. Reaves's help. Mr. Reaves is very bright young man, and Sirius… Well, he knows much of the castle like Remus, and like James Potter and Peter Pettigrew did," he added with raised eyebrows.

Charlie got the hint at the Marauders, but his mind was catching up on the rest of Dumbledore's words. "Selwyn… Selwyn Manor?"

Dumbledore nodded. "You remember, Charles, the note his teachers received about his leave of absence. For family matters." The wizard stood and began pacing behind his desk. "Professors McGonagall, Lupin, and I suspect his leave is connected to Sunday's incident. He, as you no doubt know, is Ginny's good friend." He paused and again raised his eyebrows. "However, he had also been dating Miraphina Atherton."

The Weasley brother swallowed the lump in his throat. Yes, he did know that. He knew much of the background story with Mir and with Ginny's mate –or, at least, what Ginny and Mira knew of Selwyn. "So…it's the Selwyns?"

"Pure speculation, pure speculation, professor," Dumbledore stated, but his eyes were sad. "But, as we have past examples, all the ingredients are right there."

"What do we do?"

"We cannot take action," the headmaster affirmed, staring at his phoenix Fawkes.

Charlie furrowed his brow. "…what?" he asked quietly.

Dumbledore didn't look at him. "It is circumstantial to presume that they did indeed travel to the Selwyn estate. Not only that, but we do not know the current situation there, either. Sending help might raise a flag, something that could assist or ail our loved ones." He finally faced Charlie. "I told Remus the same thing, Charles: We must wait."

That was the worst thing Charlie had ever heard.

* * *

**Not too shabby. I only had one chapter break, too. I really liked the flow of this chapter. Don't worry, though; you'll like 19. Can you say, 'relief'? *heh***

**As always, REVIEW!!! What if Mir doesn't wake up, huh? Only a review might help her along (or Charlie…)!**

**-mew-tsubaki**


	19. 19th Hint, 10th Insinuation

**At the Moment**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

Note: J.K. Rowling's characters are in another companion story to my fics **To the Future**, **From the Past**, and **In the Present**. As usual, there are O.C.s, but duh, because Charlie's with an O.C. Anywho, please enjoy the story and let me know what you think of it in a review. BTW: I don't know how many chapters this'll last, but it will be shorter than the companion stories.

* * *

**The Tenth Insinuation (& the Nineteenth Hint)**

Sleep did not come. The built-up stress was too much for Charlie. In the end, he left his hut and roamed outside. The fresh air did nothing for him, either. Usually it helped to clear his mind.

But it just wasn't working today.

He ended up going up to the castle, and up to the Hospital Wing. It was very early in the morning, so no one was up yet, though he hoped one person in particular would be.

The Hospital Wing was as quiet as death. _Mira's parents must still be asleep,_ Charlie thought as he made his way over to the Hufflepuff's cot. He sat down in the cold chair and leaned his elbows on his knees, leaning on his clasped hands.

Mira didn't look good, but she didn't look any worse. At least there was that.

Whatever her dreams were this time, they seemed more pleasant. Her eyes flitted beneath their lids, and her lips would quirk every now-and-then. He had to wonder what she was thinking about.

_Maybe who,_ he pondered with a wistful smile. He grasped the hand that was on top of the sheets and warmed it in both of his. She had regained some warmth, that was good. Yes, anything like that was good.

Charlie let his eyes drift to the sunrise outside. He rubbed his chin. There was a quite a bit of stubble there; he'd have to shave before classes.

_Probably before breakfast, actually,_ the wizard told himself. He faced his love again. _I doubt she'd like it._

A sound came from her lips, though. It was broken and hard to decipher at first. Charlie leaned in to get a better listen. Mira breathed a little heavily, but her lips were moving. "…s… Ch… Ch…"

His eyes widened. She couldn't be saying his name in her sleep, could she?

"Ch… Cha…," she repeated.

Charlie stood and bowed his head over hers. "Mir, it's okay," he whispered. "I'm here. It's me, Charlie. I'm right here."

She moaned a little, her brow furrowing. The witch tossed and turned slightly, too. "Ch… Cha…"

"Mir, I'm here for you."

"Cha… Chaclit Frogs…," she breathed in her accent.

His face fell. Just as quickly, he had to clamp a hand over his mouth to keep his laugh in. After all that had happened, she was dreaming of candy! It was so Mira, it brought tears to Charlie's eyes. She was definitely a lot better today.

"…Frogs," she whispered again.

He snorted. "Mir, Mir, Mir… What am I going to do with you?" He kissed her mouth, his stubble scratching her cheeks and lips and chin. He pulled back and smiled at her. "Love, I'm beginning to think it's me or the candy."

"…Chalie…"

Okay, now _that_ he knew was her cockney version of his name. He kissed her forehead. "I love you, Miraphina Atherton." He pulled away, and she gripped his cloak pocket with both hands. He sat back down. "I'll stay, Mir. I'll stay."

* * *

Charlie waited until the time the others would be waking and then returned to his hut and freshened up. After shaving, he went back up to the castle. Food would help him get through the lack of sleep and his classes.

However, on his way to the Great Hall, Charlie passed Dumbledore, Snape, and McGonagall. He looked to McGonagall quizzically. All she said was, "They're back."

That was all Charlie needed to hear. He joined them and the quartet journeyed to the school gates. Right then, Harry, Ginny, Sirius, and Ginny's friends (Benton, Creevey, Reaves, Morris, Crowley –surprisingly, Selwyn, too) walked up to them. Snape grabbed Selwyn by the arm, and McGonagall and Charlie turned to the other students. Charlie knew McGonagall was ready to give her Gryffindors a piece of her mind, but Charlie wanted to berate Ginny first.

Before anything could be said, though, Dumbledore cleared his throat. "In light of the past two nights' events, I think our students deserve some rest," he said. Though quiet, his voice carried a commanding air.

Charlie's face mimicked McGonagall's gaping expression. How could the headmaster just let them go like this?! Everything demanded an explanation!! Charlie blinked and did a double-take at Harry. Of course. With Harry present, it meant the Ministry had been involved. No one dared to protest Dumbledore in the end. Even Snape released Grant.

"Rest until supper," Dumbledore continued, "and I would like to see all of you in my office after tonight's meal."

Harry, who had escorted them, gave a nod to Dumbledore. "Professor, if you would, I can inform you as to what happened."

The headmaster extended an arm out. "Lead the way, Harry. As I hear, you also must inform me of wedding details."

The Boy-Who-Lived smiled and headed back into the school first with the headmaster. _Right, _Charlie reminded himself as the rest of them followed behind. _I forgot Harry's engaged to Hermione. The date's set for July Twenty-Fourth as I recall…_ He frowned. He also recalled Laurel had an invite. … Who knew where the two of them would stand by the time that date rolled around?

* * *

Come lunchtime, Charlie took a chance and visited Mira again. She still wasn't awake, but he couldn't be near her then. Her parents were at her side, but, honestly, he preferred it that way. She needed all the love and support right now. And right now, she needed theirs.

Charlie taught the rest of his classes. It was like an out-of-body experience, like when the explosion had happened. He was there physically, but he felt like he was outside of things, outside of everyone's reach, just observing. Last period, he stuck his hands in his pockets.

"All right, good work, the lot of you," he said with a lifeless smirk to the second years. "I expect everyone's homework to be done and presented tomorrow. Good night," the professor dismissed them.

_Not much of a good night for me, though,_ Charlie thought as he rolled his shoulders. She had to wake up soon, she-

He froze. What was that in his pocket? It felt like…

Charlie drew his hand from his pocket, quick as a whip. _You've got to be shitting me._

It was Bill's blue ribbon, the same one Charlie had given Miraphina.

_But when did she- _He stopped. This morning, when she grabbed his cloak pocket –she had done so with both of her hands. That was the only time there would've been the chance. _It's now, it's got to be now,_ he thought. He went straight to the Hospital Wing, not even paying attention that someone might see him.

All that mattered was that Mira would be awake now.

* * *

No one was there, save for the curvy brunette witch in her cot. Charlie strode over with confidence and sat down in one of the two chairs. He smiled and watched her face lovingly. He didn't mind staring at all.

He touched her hand. "Mira, Mir, I'm here."

Her eyes moved more actively now, and they finally opened. She blinked several times. "Whu… Wha… Charlie…?"

He couldn't help it. There were tears in his eyes. A few slipped out as his love struggled to sit up. Charlie reached out and touched her arm. "No, no, don't force it. You're still really weak."

Mira looked at him, and more tears slipped out, but he smiled now. "Charlie…what happened?"

The wizard stroked her cheek and just looked at her, so glad she was okay. When he looked into her eyes, though, he didn't quell his impulse to kiss her. He was gentle, but it was a kiss full of love. He had never before been so relieved.

She stared back up at him. "Charlie, really. What happened?"

"You were caught in an explosion," he finally answered. "It was a gift sent to you filled with a poison meant for Muggle-borns."

"…what…?" Miraphina furrowed her brow. Her eyes skittered across the sheet that covered her. "How…How long have I been out?"

Charlie frowned. "Since…Sunday morning. It's…Wednesday night…"

"Oh my god…"

He could see the stress building up, and he knew what questions raged through her head. "Don't fret so much. You're not fully healed yet."

She lifted her head. "I was with Ginny and Raven and Mavrick and the others that morning…"

"They're all fine, though in some trouble." Her puzzled stare forced him to elaborate. "They figured out somehow that it was someone in the Selwyn residence that sent you that package. They went there and it looks like they ended up rescuing Selwyn. I don't know the rest of the story," he finished with a shrug.

"Someone…in the…_Selwyn…_?" Mira trailed off and her eyes darted to the sheet again.

"Mir, it wasn't Grant," Charlie said hurriedly. He brought her gaze back to him. "It wasn't Grant. Believe me –anyone who loved you would never hurt you."

The daze disappeared from her stare. "I take it you speak from experience." She gave him a faint smile.

He smiled back. "Of that I do." Charlie kissed her again and then just leaned his forehead on hers. "Merlin. Mir, do you have any idea how much I thought, 'This is it. She's going to be taken away from me as quickly as she came'?"

"Charlie… My dreams were filled with you, you know. You helped to keep me strong," the witch stated.

"I actually do know," he said with a laugh. "But Chocolate Frogs were the thing at the forefront of your mind. You kept saying it over and over in your sleep."

She blushed. "I did not!"

"Did, too."

"Ask my parents then –wait." She managed to fully sit up now, despite Charlie's urges to keep her at least reclined. "Are my parents here? I thought I heard them sometimes."

He nodded. "They are. They're off sleeping elsewhere in the castle. And, no, I haven't met them. I checked on you when you were alone," he answered before she asked.

Mira exhaled loudly. "Nasty bit of poison."

"I don't think the explosion helped much, either. All of you were injured in one way or another. Crowley breathed in some, too, but you got the worst of it."

"And I was here, saying 'Chocolate Frogs' in my sleep?" She covered her eyes with her hand. "Ugh…"

He half-smiled. He watched her –he would never take his eyes off her again. "Really, you didn't say 'Chocolate Frogs'. It sounded more like… What was it?" he said while he playfully tapped his chin with an index finger. Charlie locked eyes with her. "I think it was actually, 'Chaclit Frogs'," he stated in a very good imitation of her cockney accent.

She had been pink before, but now she was cherry red. "Uck-! How dare you-! Makin' fun of a sick pason! Honestly, Chalie!" She stopped, and turned maroon.

He laughed and leaned in. "_There's_ the accent I love so much." Charlie kissed her nose and hugged her to him. "Did you know?" he asked softly. "I came right now, tonight, because you stuffed the ribbon in my pocket earlier. Maybe Fate's our friend after all. She brought me to you through Trelawney's reading. She brought me to you tonight to make sure I was the first to see you awake."

Mira giggled in his arms and snuggled into his chest. "I'm beginning to like Fate myself."

Charlie held her for a little while longer, but then he drew back slightly. Again, he looked her up and down. It was a miracle she was okay. "You should get some rest. You'll feel a lot better in the morning."

"I know." She kissed him and then let him stand. "I just wish you could stay with me. I don't care who sees now."

He shook his head. "You say that now, but the year's not over yet. Just give it a bit more time, love." He bent and kissed the top of her head before leaving. "I love you, Mir."

"I love you, too, Charlie."

Though it was hard to leave despite what he had just said to _her_, the Care for Magical Creatures professor exited the Hospital Wing and headed downstairs. He stuck his hands in his pockets and he walked down the steps. He could sleep easy tonight.

* * *

**Nicely done, I'd like to think, especially with a much-desired TRIPLE-POST (I'm surprised some of you didn't kill me sooner, jeez). So now Mira's back. YAY! I love Mir a lot, and I hate seeing Charlie without her. But now he has her back –or does he? Grant **_**has**_** returned, folks…but that'll wait until chapter 21. Chapter 20 is going to be some back story, but it's good stuff.**

**So…as always –READ & REVIEW!!! (Reviews determine if I post one or three chapters at once next, so… *evilly grins*)**

**Thank you!**

**-mew-tsubaki**


	20. 20th Hint, 11th Insinuation

**At the Moment**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

Note: J.K. Rowling's characters are in another companion story to my fics **To the Future**, **From the Past**, and **In the Present**. As usual, there are O.C.s, but duh, because Charlie's with an O.C. Anywho, please enjoy the story and let me know what you think of it in a review. BTW: I don't know how many chapters this'll last, but it will be shorter than the companion stories.

* * *

**The Eleventh Insinuation (& the Twentieth Hint)**

Though Charlie did not know much, it was still a shock to hear what little he _did_ know. Mira frowned after he left.

So. The Selwyns. Slytherin purebloods.

Mira shook her head. _Even if it wasn't Grant… I mean, why couldn't he have stopped that package?_ She didn't like how things looked. _Maybe some rest _will_ do me some good_, the brunette told herself, taking Charlie's advice and scooting down under the covers. It had only been a few minutes of Charlie-filled fantasies when someone sat down beside Mira's cot.

Whoever it was, they leaned a bit over the bed. "I'm so sorry…"

_Ginny?_ Mira thought. It was kinda surprising that Ginny had shown up. Half of Miraphina had been expecting Grant. She started to sit up, but stopped. _Oh, crap. I've gotta act like this is my first time waking up since Sunday. I can't give Charlie away!_ She made a little noise that was kinda like a groan. "So… Are you snogging Sturgy-boy still…? Or…are you back to Riu?"

Ginny snapped her head up and watched Mira struggle to sit up. "Mira!"

"I'm…right here, you dolt," she mock-coughed, and she reclined against her pillow. _Nicely done, if I do say so myself. Hell, _I _believe my acting -almost_. "Besides. What are you so sorry about?" Mira raised a speculative eyebrow. "You haven't been snogging _Grant_, have you?"

The redhead shook her head. "No, no! Nothing like that!" Ginny half-smiled. "In fact, a lot of other things have happened while you healed…"

"Do go on," Mira said with an interested smirk.

Ginny released a nervous chuckled. "Eh-heh… Well… For starters, you were sent a gift that exploded. It contained a Muggle-born poison. Both you and Raven inhaled it, but you got the worst of it. It's Wednesday night, you see."

"Oh…" Mira plastered on a semi-devastated expression. "But… I take it there's more to tell."

The Weasley daughter nodded. "Neville, Charlie, and Snape figured that part out, but no one could figure out who had sent it. Sturgis had an idea, though. Apparently, some old pureblood families used to have their wands made within the family, and these wands leave an insignia behind when they cast a spell. Monday night, the gang and I stole into the library. Derrov and Nigel brought the package remains –they were harmless, by the way –to us and Sturgis cast a spell to find the insignia. It flashed the Selwyn crest that I found in another book. With that, we were settled to go to Grant's home. I was ready to take him down if he truly was evil. But… Sirius overhead the plan."

"He eavesdropped on the whole thing?"

"Yes. But I wasn't backing down," Ginny remarked with wide eyes. "I told him we were going, with or without him. In the end, he tagged along."

Mira gasped. "No! He came to protect you?! And I thought you were over him!!"

Her friend reddened. "Can I get to that part? Anyway, yeah, he came along to protect me. But, you see, when we headed out, I saw that gleam in his eyes. He had regained his fire somehow."

Mira squealed in delight. "_Awesome!_"

"Will you shut up?! Merlin…! _Anyway_, so we get there using Dumbledore's fireplace-"

"-oh my GOD! _Dumbledore's_?!!"

"_Will you shut up?!_" Ginny hissed. "_Yes_, we used the headmaster's fireplace! And the first thing we encountered was a wyvern!" With no comment this time, Ginny straightened and continued. "Somehow, Nigel calmed him down and we made it out of that room. And then I was kidnapped."

Mira winced. "You _hate_ being the damsel-in-distress."

The Gryffindor rolled her eyes. "I know. Anyway, they locked me up in some dark and dank room. And by they, I mean a couple of Death Eaters. One of them was Iola Selwyn, Grant's mother."

An icy chill crept down the Hufflepuff's spine. Finally, Ginny had reached the part Mira desperately wanted to hear, to know. What exactly had happened at Grant's home?

"They left me in there for a while. It was late Tuesday night when they came to retrieve me, I think. When they led me to their comrades, I saw Grant's father, Tersium, and he was definitely the ringleader. He wanted me as a sacrifice."

"For what?" Miraphina inquired, though her voice was barely audible.

"For Grant's initiation. They wanted him to willingly kill me as his initiation into their order of Death Eaters." Ginny scoffed. "Tersium thought himself the next Voldemort. Grant refused to do it, of course, even with both of his parents ordering him and threatening him with death." Her eyes took a far-off glaze to them. "There was… There was a moment when I thought anything could happen. It felt like right was wrong and wrong was right. I didn't know _what_ Grant was going to do…"

Charlie's words that Grant had returned with Ginny flew out of Mira's mind for the second, completely forgotten. "He's all right, though? Isn't he?"

"At the last second, he turned his Killing Curse on himself."

Mira couldn't even swallow past the lump in her throat. She couldn't get her '…what?' out.

Ginny brushed her hair over her shoulder. "I honestly thought he'd killed himself. He fell to the ground way too easily, taking his father down with him. Sirius screamed my name at that point, and my rescuers finally arrived. Sirius actually thought it had been my body that he heard hit the floor. But it wasn't." She flicked her eyes to Mira's. "It was Tersium's."

"Oh, oh god!!" Happy tears came to Mira's eyes. Hearing that all of her friends were_ alive_ –she couldn't stop crying, and Ginny started crying, too. Somehow, they managed to calm down.

"After, I sent word to my dad and to Harry, because Harry's section of the Auror department handles the loose ends of Voldemort's reign. I got some time alone with Sirius while we waited, and he and I made up, too." Ginny smiled. "I'll make it through this Distance Charm."

The two of them laughed out loud. Surprisingly, it was an hour and a half later. "Interesting," the curvy brunette finally quipped. "Can't believe all that happened while I was here. But I do feel better."

"Is this the first time you woke up?" Ginny asked.

"Since collapsing, yes," Mira lied. She eyed her friend carefully, and sighed. "What else happened?"

The Weasley witch grinned. Mira could read her so well. "After we got back and rested, Professor Dumbledore requested an audience and we told him what happened. But when _I_ opened my mouth…" She shook her head. "Back on Valentine's Day, when you spooked me? I had been sharing the day with Sirius-"

"I _knew_ it!" the brunette interjected happily.

"-when he and I overheard two wizards talking about Selwyn. We didn't know which Selwyn, of course, but the two were talking about him being the next Dark Lord." Ginny furrowed her brow. "And they also mentioned taking care of 'the girls' and they toasted each other to revenge. I had this awful feeling they meant us, but I never said anything. When I told Dumbledore this earlier tonight, our friends…didn't take to kindly to the idea that I might've prevented the explosion." Now that she was done, she stared at a giddy Mira. "Aren't you angry?"

"Are you kidding? His parents would've gotten that package to me somehow," the Hufflepuff said, waving it off. "But never-mind that. Sirius is the reason you were so jumpy that day, huh?" She waggled her eyebrows at Ginny.

"Mir, shh! Don't use his name!" she uttered. "Well, you and Dumbledore are the only ones on my side. Derrov, Nigel, Sturgis, Raven, Mavrick, and Grant are all upset with me to some extent."

"Bah, don't worry about it," Mira chided. "I'll talk some sense into Grant-" –although, as she said that, she also knew she'd have to talk to Grant about Charlie… She pushed that out of her mind for the minute. "Raven's too hardheaded, but –while Mav loves her –I'm sure he'll come around and convince Raven, too. Nigel and Der won't stay away for long; they'll forgive you soon enough when they realize I don't blame you at all. Sturgis-" She stopped and bit her bottom lip. "Well, I'm not too sure about him. He _did_ imply he'll keep loving you, but I think this info sheds new light on things."

Ginny's eyes suddenly lacked the light they had moments earlier when talking of Sirius. "I doubt he'll ever talk to me again."

Mira patted Ginny's arm. "But I'm sure he knew you and he wouldn't be together in the end. All he's really doing is ruining a possible friendship between you two. The best thing to do right now is to let him be. If he sobers up, then good. If he doesn't –well, you have Riu and me and eventually the others, so don't sweat it." She grinned ear-to-ear. "We're here for you."

* * *

_Oh, bollocks._ Charlie removed his cloak only now, long after eating supper. He stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled out the ribbon. _I meant to give this back to Mir tonight._

The wizard stepped outside and looked up at Hogwarts castle.

_I might as well try and see if I can at least leave it by her bedside._

He went back up and back in, easily retracing his steps up the stairs to the Hospital Wing. He stopped outside the doors. There were voices inside. One was Mira's and the other was Ginny's. Ginny was divulging to Miraphina about Sirius and their friends and-

Charlie frowned. _She had tried falling in love with someone else? _He peeked in on the two witches. He saw that familiar Weasley red hair and smiled knowingly. _But she couldn't fight loving Sirius…_ His blue eyes went to Mira. _Just like I couldn't fight loving Mir…_

"…you have Riu and me and eventually the others, so don't sweat it," Mira said to Ginny, grinning ear-to-ear. "We're here for you."

"And so's your family," Charlie said, deciding to step in. He also decided it was high time he forgive Ginny for being with Sirius. After all, he, too, had fallen for a student and someone much younger than himself –though Charlie _did_ remind himself that nine years was still a lot better than twenty. He walked over to Mira's cot. "I didn't mean to intrude. I went in search of you at Dumbledore's office," the Weasley brother fibbed, "but he said you'd already left. As you weren't in Gryffindor Tower, I guessed… But don't forget your family," he added, getting back to his point. "I'm sorry I didn't realize all the stress building up, Gin. I shouldn't have added to that with the business about-" –he looked at Mira with a raised eyebrow- "-what was it you dubbed him? 'Riu', I think it was." He rested a hand on Ginny's head and ruffled her hair like she was still a little girl.

"Touching scene, Professor Weasley," Mira poked with a smirk.

Charlie glared at her sideways. "Don't give me cheek, Atherton." Ah, yes. It was fun calling her by her last name again, though it was rather strange.

She feigned mock-horror and slapped the sides of her face. "Heavens, no!! Why, these cheeks here belong to darling Grant!!"

He blushed at her tease. "You little-!!" The teacher sighed. Yes, Grant _was_ back…so what did that mean for Charlie and Mira…? "We should let the ill-minded rest, Ginny," he commented, ushering her up and towards the door.

"Hey!" Mira called when the Weasleys reached the exit. "You could've stopped at 'ill', y'know!" she hollered, a bit of cockney leaking into her accent.

Charlie smirked his playful smirk that only Mir ever saw. "I know." And then he left with Ginny.

Meanwhile, Mira huffed. "Well!" And then she blinked, her cheeks gaining a _lot_ of color. "Ah, bloody bollocks, my accent's cumming thru…" _And when Charlie and I are around others now, too…!_

* * *

**So there you have it, peoples. Now, this isn't to say that you don't have to read ****To the Future****. Ginny gave Mira the Cliff Notes version of everything, and she barely summarized what happened at the Selwyn estate. So, after you're done reviewing this chapter, you should go read ****To the Future**** while you're awaiting chappie 21 of this story!**

**CHARLIEPHINA FOREVER!!!!!!!!! *cough, cough* Ahem…heh.**

**-mew-tsubaki XD**


	21. 21st Hint, 12th Insinuation

**At the Moment**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

Note: J.K. Rowling's characters are in another companion story to my fics **To the Future**, **From the Past**, and **In the Present**. As usual, there are O.C.s, but duh, because Charlie's with an O.C. Anywho, please enjoy the story and let me know what you think of it in a review. BTW: I don't know how many chapters this'll last, but it will be shorter than the companion stories.

* * *

**The Twelfth Insinuation (& the Twenty-First Hint)**

"Are you _sure_ you're all right?" Laura asked her daughter the next day.

"I'm _fine_, Mum," Miraphina answered the next morning. She was adjusting her yellow and black tie. Her uniform looked good. Unfortunately, her favorite pair of jeans from that exploding Sunday would never again be wearable… Mira shook it off, though. She really was better.

"Laura, Miraphina's tough. I told you she'd pull through this full force," Gerry stated.

"Thank you, Dad," Mira commented as she pulled on her robe. She turned to her parents. "Now the both of you need to go home and get to work. God knows you'll only be crying again a few days from now, considering graduation is within reach."

Of course, that did it. Laura Anne Atherton started blubbering all over again. Her husband, Gerald Harvey Atherton, rolled his eyes and pulled his daughter into a warm bear hug. "Don't worry about her. It's because you're an only child that she's more overbearing than usual."

"Gerry!" Laura squeaked, giving him an admonishing glare. She enveloped Mira in her arms. "I'm just so glad you're almost out of here. I thought danger wasn't supposed to reach you in a place like this!"

"Magic only means there are more ways for bad things to happen, Mum," Mira said with a gentle smile. "But good things happen, too, lots and lots of good things." _Like my boyfriend is a wizard who works with dragons._ The abstract thought almost made Miraphina laugh, but she didn't. She knew that'd scare her parents.

_**Knock, knock.**_

"Miss Atherton?"

Okay, now Mira almost squealed. How could he have shown up while she was with her parents still?!! The Hufflepuff rigidly turned as Charlie approached her and her family.

Charlie smiled warmly. "Oh, hello, there, Mr. Atherton, Mrs. Atherton," he said, shaking their hands. "I just came by to give Miraphina a message."

"And you are…?" Gerry asked, though not too suspiciously, luckily for Charlie and Mira both.

"I'm Charlie Weasley, the professor for Care for Magical Creatures."

"Weasley?" Laura repeated. "That's…"

Charlie kept on his winning smile while Mira stood there, still unsure what to do. "I'm Ginny Weasley's older brother. My sister wanted to pass something along to her best mate, but she was a little busy. My class is first period today, Miss Atherton," he said to Mira.

Mira squinted at him. Was Creatures really first period today, or… She couldn't remember. She had missed three day's worth of classes, so he could be telling the truth. "I'll have to get my books," she stated. "And you guys should get back to work before you lose another day," she told her parents over her shoulder as she followed Charlie out of the Hospital Wing. "I love you and I'll see you soon!!"

"It was nice meeting you, Charlie!" Laura called after them.

"Watch over our daughter like she's another sister, please!" Gerry yelled.

"And _I'm_ overbearing?" Mira and Charlie heard Laura say to her husband.

Mira laughed when she and Charlie were on the lower level. "Those two never get old, it seems…" When no one else was around, she grabbed Charlie's earlobe and dragged him into the shadows underneath a staircase. "What the hell was _that_ all about?!" she hissed.

Charlie held up his hands. "I was just being nice and meeting the parents."

She turned red. "_Charlie!_ Now they know you were –_are_ my teacher!!"

"We'd have hit the snag at some point," he stated.

Mira sighed, shaking her head. "Tell me this much: Do I really have your class first today?"

"Nope. I've got a free period and you have Binns, so it's not like he'll notice your absence. 'Sides, the rest of the classes are reviews anyway." He shot her a sly grin. "Want to skip?"

"You're the worst teacher ever."

"Why, thank you." Charlie kissed her full on the mouth. "Was that a yes?"

"That was a maybe." Mira thought about it for a second. "…Okay, that was a yes. But only first period! Any of my other teachers would fry me!"

"But why worry about that now?" Charlie grabbed some of her hair and tilted her head back for another kiss. "I think we should celebrate your release, don't you? A toast to life."

"Mmm…" Mira stuck her tongue in his mouth and, when she broke away briefly, she grinned impishly. "I agree. A toast to life."

* * *

The rest of Thursday's and Friday's classes were either review sessions or study periods, both of which were bland to the extremes. Mira didn't do much in those classes, and Ginny ignored her surroundings and focused only on her studying. She did such a wonderful job of ignoring everything and everyone that she didn't even notice Mira scampering to a seat across from her at the lunch table on Saturday. Miraphina had to actually slam the redhead's text closed to get her attention.

"Honestly, Ginny! And I thought _I_ was an academic worrywart," she added as an aside. But it was an amusing thought.

Ginny frowned. "Yeah, well, Monday night through Wednesday ate up precious time. I have N.E.W.T.s in Divination, History of Magic, Herbology, Charms, Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Care for Magical Creatures-"

Mira held up a hand. "Stop. I understand; I have Muggle Studies and others to worry about, so I know how you feel. But RELAX!" To get her point across, the brunette waved her wand and produced a chess board. "Want to play?"

"Wizard chess?"

"No, regular chess. Leaves out the danger of pieces attacking us."

Ginny laughed. She took white and went on to beat Mira's butt, but every time she won, Mira asked for a rematch. It was suppertime before they knew it. While eating, Ginny laughed again. "You're such a sore loser!"

"Uh!" Miraphina scoffed. "Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am_ not_!" But Mira was glad Ginny didn't have her nose in a textbook this time.

Ginny laughed harder, but she saw someone out of the corner of her eye. Mira followed her line of sight to Nigel and Derrov, who seemed to be eyeing the two seventh years every now-and-then, but Ginny didn't say anything, and neither did Mira. They would approach Ginny again when it dawned on them that Miraphina wasn't alienating her.

_Well, that's what I hope for,_ Miraphina thought as she sipped her water. _On the bright side, I've always been pretty good at reading people._ She looked at Ginny and watched the redhead glance up at the staff table. Sirius was chatting with Remus, but he looked up at smiled at his love. Mira smiled herself, glad that she and Ginny could both enjoy some happiness now…

Warily, Mir's eyes flicked to the Slytherin table, but she knew she would not find Grant there. He was busy catching up on a lot of material from the past few months, and Mira wondered if he'd even graduate with them. Absentmindedly, Mira let her own eyes wander to the staff table. Like Sirius had with Ginny, Charlie lifted his head and saw Mira. He gave her his mischievous grin and the witch felt that everything was all right.

_Yes… With Charlie, everything _is_ all right._

* * *

"Okay. So, the three things that annoy an ellylon most are…?" Mira asked Sunday morning.

"Firefaeries, roaches, and being plucked off the ground," Ginny rattled off. She chewed her bit of blueberry muffin. "To make the Noxious Noter potion, you need…?"

"Dung beetles –crushed –owl pellets, pomegranate parfum, a chunk of sulfur, and a Cornish pixie wing," the Hufflepuff answered. She paused and twirled on the green lawn, her T-shirt puffing. "Y'know," she commented while looking into the cloud-free sky, "I think we'll be all right." Mira's mind was drifted back to last night when she caught Charlie's gaze. _I sincerely believe that, too._

Ginny stared at the sky that mimicked her eye color. "…I agree."

Mira turned back to her friend, actually a little surprised to find agreement. "Still don't know what you're going to do after graduation?" she asked tentatively.

The Weasley girl shook her head. "I don't know where I'll live. Although, Hermione _did_ invite me to the wedding. Harry mentioned she wanted me as her maid-of-honor, so I know I'll at least have rehearsals to deal with for a while, since I agreed."

"Ooh! Is it going to be a Muggle wedding?" the brunette gushed.

"I suppose. Hermione's Muggle-born and Harry grew up with Muggles, so that's probably what's most natural for them. I've never been to a Muggle wedding before."

"They're not very different from wizard ones. Typically, the only difference is the magic."

"'Typically'?"

"Sometimes there's a magician." Mira shuddered, recalling her cousin's wedding. "Frightful. Who on _earth_ hires a magician for a _wedding_?"

"Apparently Muggles do."

Mira paused, letting her thoughts float to weddings…and her own with Charlie, of course. "What kind of wedding will you have?"

Ginny looked like the wind had been knocked out of her. "Excuse me?"

Her friend rolled her eyes. "C'mon! As if you and Riu won't get hitched."

"First: I won't get hitched; I'll get married. Second-" Ginny slowly faded into pink. "Who knows if that'll ever happen?" she added in a small voice.

"AGH!" Mira slapped both of Ginny's cheeks simultaneously. Was this girl _really_ that dense?! "You've _got_ to be kidding me! There isn't a reason in the _world_ that he wouldn't want to marry you! Maybe he'll even propose soon!"

"Mira, shh!!!" the Weasley daughter tried, her cheeks deepening in color.

"I won't 'shhh'!! You'll marry Riu, I'll marry-" –Mira blinked, hesitating for a split-second; she died to say 'Charlie', but she also knew she had to keep up with the charade for now. She only hoped Ginny didn't notice her hesitation. "-Grant, and Raven'll marry Mavrick!! It's like balancing an equation!" She panted, and sternly gazed at the Gryffindor. "Understood?"

"Understood." They walked along the courtyard again, a little bit of time spent in silence. "What's the advantage of a nonverbal spell?" Ginny asked after a while.

"It gives you a slim time advantage, since your opponent won't expect –_mostly_ expect –what's coming. The number one authority on Squibs, half-bloods, and Muggle-borns…?"

Ginny grinned. "Easy. Hermione Granger. Explain why rune stones are more reliable than glass ball readings…"

* * *

Monday finally arrived. The first day of N.E.W.T.s, and Miraphina had the Potions and History of Magic exams with Ginny, Grant, and Raven. Potions wasn't too bad, but Mira felt she could've done a lot better. Grant and Ginny made it look too easy.

History of Magic was surprisingly breezy. Mira accredited that to the loads of studying she had done. _Maybe all that time in the library, _she thought with a smile. _All that time with Charlie, and I still managed to study._ Well, the time when they didn't speak after he first kissed her had helped a lot, though it hadn't been good for any other reasons.

Tuesday was very different. Divination was dreadful only because it mostly dealt with the awful rune stones, but Ginny and Mira both were glad to be done with that bloody exam. After Divination, Mira had Mineralogy, which she was sure was fine.

Our favorite Hufflepuff had one exam each on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. While Ginny had Herbology, Mira had Muggle Studies, which was kind of fun, considering she could write about most of the things she had always grown up with. Care for Magical Creatures was dangerous, but Mira did her own little victory dance when it was over; it had been challenging, but she knew she had more than passed. Defense Against the Dark Arts was oh so easy. The dueling part of the D.A.D.A. N.E.W.T. went very well, and many of the seventh years felt they had done Exceeds Expectations work or better.

After the last exam Friday, a cacophony of cheers rang out throughout the entire castle, for N.E.W.T.s, O.W.L.s, and finals were all finally over. Students put up some decorations, pranks were pulled with items from Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, and kids began to pack.

In the Hufflepuff girls' dormitories, Mira packed alongside Dana and Cirdrine. Dana was fighting back tears, Mira was leaking a little, and Drina was all-out bawling.

"It's finally over!!!" Drina cried, wrinkling the shirt in her hands.

"Don't point out the obvious," Dana snapped, but her lips were quivering.

Mira shut her trunk and looked around her barren four-poster. Drina was right; it was finally over. She turned to the girls and took Drina's hands in hers. Then she looked at Dana. "Graduation's come too soon. It's like it was yesterday when I met you guys at the Hufflepuff table."

That did it. Dana broke down and, the next thing Mira knew, she and her friends were on the floor in one big embrace, crying all over the place. It had finally sunken in:

They were all graduating from Hogwarts.

* * *

That night's end-of-term feast turned out spectacularly. All the students filed in and sat at their respective tables; Ginny sat with Nigel and Derrov, who had both finally warmed up to her again. That made Miraphina glad, but Raven, Mavrick, and Sturgis all sat at the opposite end of the Gryffindor table from her, Nigel, and Derrov. Mira watched them for a little longer, wishing she were sitting with them, as well, though as their whole group of friends and not separated.

Mira turned back to Dana and Cirdrine as the teachers sat down and Dumbledore approached his podium. The entire Great Hall quieted when he cleared his throat.

"It has been a whirlwind of a year. As usual, rules were broken, Quidditch games were fierce, and the familial atmosphere at Hogwarts was retained. Tonight, we dine and sleep, for tomorrow we send most of our students home for the summer, and the day after our seventh years will graduate, leaving the sixth years to be the school's new role models.

"But tonight is one of celebration, and the House Cup must be awarded. In first place: Ravenclaw with six-hundred twenty-eight points. Second is Slytherin, with five-hundred seventy-nine points. Gryffindor is third, with four-hundred ninety-nine points, and last is Hufflepuff, with four-hundred fifty-three points." Dana and Drina made faces at the last part, and Mira had to fight down a laugh. It seemed like the points Mira had won her house hadn't done much good, but she didn't mind that much.

Dumbledore's half-moon spectacles slid down his narrow nose as he looked out into the huge crowd of teenagers. "I am sure we all know things were worrisome last week when it was discovered that some students and faculty were missing." The murmurs were and weren't surprised, but silence prevailed when the headmaster next spoke. "And, in consistence with tradition, I have some last minute points at award." Again, there were murmurs of excitement, but no one was surprised.

The headmaster faced the Gryffindor table. "To young Derrov Benton, whose nimble hands helped to determine the whereabouts of his senior and friend –ten points."

Gryffindors cheered, and Derrov blushed. Mira applauded proudly for the fourth-year, and she smiled when Ginny and Nigel laughed, for Der rarely showed emotion, but then Dumbledore stared at Nigel. The fifth-year turned around hesitantly.

"To Nigel Creevey (**mt: yes, yes, I used the 5****th**** movie's replacement for the Creevey brothers, don't kill me**), for the blessing of a big heart with enough love to protect a wyvern that had previously attacked him –ten points." More woots erupted, and Dumbledore gazed at the opposite end of the table. "To Sturgis Reaves, whose intellect knows no bounds and whose mind knows spells and enchantments that I myself have forgotten and even Hermione Granger may not know-" –a cough interrupted him, and the headmaster looked over his shoulder at Snape, who shrugged and motioned for him to finish- "-ten points."

Mira strained in her seat to see the Chaser and she giggled at a bashful Sturgis. Ginny looked for him, too, but she ducked, however, when he turned her way. Dumbledore had more to say, anyway.

"To Miss Raven Crowley, whose quick thinking defended her and her friends in the deadliest of situations –ten points."

Mira couldn't see Raven, though. Some beefy Gryffindor boy blocked her sight. Again, there was applause, but it wasn't as hearty as the rest. Mira clapped her hardest for her friend.

"To Mavrick Morris, who stood by his friends and protected them even when he was skeptical about heading into danger –ten points." He was visible, though. Mav blinked, realizing the attention was on him, and smiled at the headmaster.

"To Miss Ginevra Weasley, whose courage rivals that of Godric Gryffindor himself. Her bravery, determination, and loyalty to her friends shows how perfect a fit she is for her valiant house. So much, in fact, that her determination to protect her allies led to her ingenuity in creating a special spell. A spell that is the first of its kind. A special spell which deflected the Killing Curse." He paused, but no cheers came. The room was gagged by awe.

_What the bloody hell is he talking about?!_ Miraphina thought when she saw Ginny duck her head slightly. Yes, Mir knew most of what had happened –she had heard it straight from the horse's mouth! But apparently Ginny had left out one MINOR detail.

Even the teachers were flabbergasted –Charlie, too, though that was not as surprising since Ginny hadn't talked with Charlie in a while. "To our very own hero of the Second Great War, to our very own Ginny Weasley –I award thirty points."

_You'd think she'd get a million points for something like that, _the curvy brunette pondered incredulously. The excited screams and hollers of pride were so loud, the castle seemed to rattle and shake. Gryffindors threw their pointed caps high into the air, and Dumbledore had an extremely difficult time quieting them back down.

Dana poked Miraphina in the arm and she, Mir, and Drina all leaned in. "Gryffindor's tied for second place now with Slytherin!" Dana said with raised eyebrows.

"There is one more!" Dumbledore boomed, and a hush fell over everyone. "There is one more," he repeated, "and it is only just that he be recognized." Surprisingly, he turned to the Slytherin table and faced Grant. "To Grant Selwyn, I award fifty points. He turned his own hostage situation into an advantage, and risked everything he had once known and loved to survive, and to help his comrades survive, as well. Your fifty points are for your sly and cunning in the darkest of times, Grant Selwyn." Grant looked uncomfortable, but he accepted the applause and cheers of his fellow Slytherins as Dumbledore changed the Ravenclaw banners into the green and silver Slytherin ones. "Slytherin wins the House Cup! Congratulations, and let the feast begin!!!"

Miraphina smiled wistfully. With what Grant had gone through –_and what's he's going to endure when we talk _–she felt he deserved that much at least. Because nothing could erase the trauma he had suffered while caught in his parents' grasp.

And nothing could make tomorrow a beautiful day for him.

* * *

**Ah, yes, another bittersweet chappie ending… I look forward to the next chapter, though it probably won't be as long as this one. Anyway, there's a big turning point in 22, so I can't wait for reviews for this chapter-**

**And I can't wait to post 22!!**

**-mew-tsubaki**

**P.S. -Thank you guys so much for all the reviews (like you two, BlueMango and o0Black-Sand0o) and all the favorites and alerts! I never thought an OC would be so popular, but Mira is well-loved -and not just by Charlie!! THANK YOU!!!!**


	22. 22nd Hint, 13th Insinuation

**At the Moment**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

Note: J.K. Rowling's characters are in another companion story to my fics **To the Future**, **From the Past**, and **In the Present**. As usual, there are O.C.s, but duh, because Charlie's with an O.C. Anywho, please enjoy the story and let me know what you think of it in a review. BTW: I don't know how many chapters this'll last, but it will be shorter than the companion stories.

* * *

**The Thirteenth Insinuation (& the Twenty-Second Hint)**

Saturday morning was clear and perfect. The sky was an enticing shade of cerulean, the color that tempted people of all ages to go outside and bask in the sunshine's light and warmth. It was a pleasant warmth today, too. No occasional breezes blew by to wreck this perfect day.

But what Miraphina was about to do… This Saturday would most likely be the worst day of Grant's life.

Though she was in love with Charlie and she saw the rest of her life by his side, the Hufflepuff had spent most of last night crying herself to sleep. She still liked Grant, and it crushed her that she would now have to crush him.

_But it has to be done,_ Mira urged herself. She ate late, but that wasn't much of a problem. Most of the students were departing this morning. It was basically just the seventh-years and the faculty now.

Grant hadn't been at breakfast, so the Hufflepuff returned to the girls' dormitories. Dana and Drina said that they didn't need help finishing packing, so Mir went down into the Hufflepuff Common Room and cracked open a book to read, but she couldn't concentrate.

She shut it and leaned her elbows on her knees. She cupped her cheek in her palm and stared at the empty fireplace. She looked around the room at all the furnishing and decorations and everything that was canary yellow and black. The witch rubbed the arm of the couch. _So long, Home._

Mira stood and shook her head. She left the Hufflepuff territory and went wandering about the castle. It was an odd feeling, walking in the castle when it was so vacant like this. She passed all the empty classrooms and teachers' offices… She even went past Trelawney's, with a shudder.

Near there, Mira stopped on the staircase at the end of the hall and peered out the window. Yes, this was the window with the good view of Charlie's hut. The brunette watched the hut now. Charlie's shadow fell on the part of the wall that she could see. He seemed to be alone. To provide further evidence, the tree tops of the Forbidden Forest rustled, and Mira squinted to see dragon Laurel fly off into the distance. She could only hope that that woman hadn't upset Charlie yet again.

The brunette finished her tour of Hogwarts castle and was heading back to the Hufflepuff Common Room when she bumped into someone. Her book fell on the floor, and the person picked it up for her.

But she couldn't tear away from those golden eyes. As always, Grant's sepia bangs brushed his dark eyelashes. "Grant," she breathed. "Can we talk?"

The Slytherin smiled forlornly, as if he anticipated this. "'Course, Mira."

* * *

"Boohoo… They'll be gone and out of Peevesies' reach…," Peeves chanted sadly while passing through the ceiling above Grant and Miraphina's head.

"Merlin, him, I won't miss," Grant stated with a chuckled. He gazed up at the ceiling of the Great Hall. "But the candles in the nighttime sky in here…I will."

Mira nodded, because her words were scrambling right now. They were preparing for the big moment. She watched him stare upwards, his softly waving hair covering some of his T-shirt's collar. It was a couple of inches longer than she remembered…

"Hey, Mira?"

His voice caught her off-guard. Mira blinked a few times. "Yeah?"

Grant stared at where the staff table usually was. His head was back to her, so she couldn't see his expression. "Be happy."

The witch furrowed her brow. "What?"

"Be happy. If not for me, then for him."

Mira gasped. "How did you-?"

He turned around, that forlorn smile on his face again. "I still love you, Mira, even after being away from you so long. But it doesn't shock me that some other guy managed to steal you. I was isolated; you weren't."

"I wasn't planning on it," she fumbled. She had been searching the whole morning for the right words to do this, and now that he had pulled _this_ –she had no words left to use. "It just…_happened_."

"And it usually does," Grant said with a tiny jerk of his shoulders that resembled a shrug. "But you're happy, right?"

"Yes." It took no brainwork at all. That was answer she knew well. "Grant…"

"I'm still one of you're best friends, though," he said with raised eyebrows. "So who is it? Do I need to go beat him up or anything?"

Mira loosed a nervous chuckle. "No, nothing like that. …It's Charlie."

Grant scrunched up his face. "Charlie? Charlie who? Not that git from Ravenclaw."

She shook her head. "Not him."

"Then who-"

"Ginny's brother," Mira cut off. Now she frowned at his stunned countenance.

"Oh." Grant rubbed his chin and sat down. "Oh. … Didn't see that one coming."

"He does make me happy, though, and you said you want to see me happy."

"That I do. It's just… Wow. So both you and Ginny like the faculty kind," he commented quietly, if not also a little bitterly.

Mira sat down across from Grant. "It's not like I jumped on him right after you disappeared, Grant," she said with a sigh. "I actually… I kinda fought the idea that you and I were done for a long while, though you had been distant for a bit before February. I didn't really _choose_ what happened…" Now, after months of keeping it bottled inside, Miraphina told someone other than Charlie about Trelawney's reading. She also explained how she tried denying it, and included how she came to the realization that it was in fact the Care for Magical Creatures professor.

"So it really did just…_happen_," the Slytherin stated when she was done. He was silent for a minute. "And you're happy with him?"

"Very much so."

Grant stood abruptly. "Good. So I'll only have to beat him on the noggin a few times, then. After all, he did sweep you off your feet."

"Grant!" Mira shoved him playfully. She, too, stood, and her smile faded. "Are you really just my best friend now?"

"Cheer up!" he said. "It's the three of us –you, me, Ginny –best mates 'til god knows when!!" He drew his wand and shot off some tiny fireworks that spelled out 'Miraphina Atherton Weasley'.

Mira crimsoned and shoved him hard. "_Grant!!_" She flapped it away with her hands. "Stop that!"

He laughed. "Hey, it's almost like the top three students are the trio of best friends." He gave her a mock-stern look and he wagged a finger at her. "From what I hear, you're only fifth in our class, Miss Atherton."

"Well, can you blame me in a class of-" She paused. "Wait, you caught up with _everything_?!!!"

Grant nodded smugly. "Yep. You're looking at the top student of our class. Gin's second."

"Lovely. You save the world, win the House Cup, _and_ take top rank in our class. Is there anything you can't do, Grant Selwyn?"

He thought for a second. "Dragons. Can't handle 'em," he finally answered with an over-exaggerated head shake.

* * *

Later in the day, Grant and Mira headed outside. They bumped into Ginny on the way down to the green near the Black Lake, where the graduation ceremony would be held.

"Guys, you're not going to believe this," the Weasley daughter said.

"What's wrong?" Miraphina asked.

"Nothing's wrong. But… Sturgis –he still wants to be friends." Ginny said it quietly.

"Oh, Ginny, that's wonderful," Mira stated. "You had liked him almost as much as Riu, too, so I know it was hard when you talked to him last week."

"It was, but he still cares for me, so I'll cherish that." Ginny put her hands on her hips. "He still wants to be friends," she repeated with a small grin.

"That's quite something," Grant commented as he, Mira, and Ginny met the other seventh years for graduation practice.

"See?" Miraphina pointed out. "I _told_ you things might work out. He sobered up, Nigel and Derrov followed my example, and I talked some sense into Grant."

"More like 'beat' some sense into me," the Slytherin whispered to Ginny behind his hand.

Mira squinted at him. "I could beat you some more."

"Or you could all have a beating for screwing up rehearsal," Charlie stated, coming up behind Ginny. "All the Hufflepuffs are over there, Miss Atherton," he directed to Mir, but she knew he was just teasing her.

"Yes, yes, _Professor_ Weasley," she remarked, walking away and rolling her eyes, but she smirked.

Charlie tsked. "That girl…" When Ginny raised an eyebrow at him, he ushered her and Grant off, too. "Slytherins and Gryffindors that way, you two."

Practice went well. No one tripped, and the top three students (Grant, Ginny, and some Hufflepuff named Feria Harling that Miraphina didn't know very well) were alerted so they could be prepared to receive awards tomorrow. The only problem was having the top three shake hands with all of the teachers. After all, the Distance Charm was still set in place for Ginny and Sirius.

At least for the rehearsal, Sirius wasn't at the front with the other teachers. He stood instead at the back to keep an eye on the students. Ginny could only sullenly fall into step with her classmates.

After what seemed like forever, Dumbledore clapped his hands. "That is all the practice we need. Tomorrow your ceremonial robes will appear by your bedsides and the ceremony itself will be at noon." The headmaster stopped and gazed at all of them –a few short of one hundred students. The moisture making his eyes glisten painted him as a beloved grandfather parting with his grandchildren. "You have all done very well. I congratulate you."

The kids were too humbled to remark. As the teachers conferred, the seventh years walked back up the castle for the last time. Grant and Mira went on ahead to talk a bit.

"So were you listening to what Ginny said earlier?" Grant asked his love out-of-the-blue.

"What part?"

"About Sturgis."

Mira pursed her lips. "I think it's good and right of him to get over what just wasn't going to happen. I'm glad he didn't hurt Ginny by taking away even a platonic relationship."

Grant nodded, but frowned. "I agree…but that's not what I meant." He glanced at the shrimp. "I meant what she said afterwards, about him still caring about her."

"And her cherishing that? I heard her, Grant." Mira sighed and stretched her arms in front of her. "You said it yourself. You're my best friend –one of our trio with Ginny." She hugged one of his arms to her briefly. "I'll always cherish you, Grant. And I'll always be grateful for your care."

He nodded again, but didn't say anything more.

Meanwhile, Ginny had fallen back to give her friends some time alone. Charlie came up beside her and followed her gaze. He grimaced when he saw Mira hug Selwyn's arm for a moment, and put an arm around his kid sister's shoulders.

Ginny tried shrugging him off. "Don't," she told him.

"'Don't' could apply to anything," he stated, feeling like he needed to tease her. Merlin, Mira didn't have to walk so close to Selwyn… "Does it apply to my telling you Dumbledore's and McGonagall's graduation present for you?"

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "You aren't pulling my leg, are you?" Ginny asked dryly.

Charlie smirked, focusing on his baby sister. "Should I, when it comes to your darling Riu?"

Ginny gripped his arm. "What? What's going on?!"

"Oh, nothing…except the headmaster and deputy headmistress decided to lift the Charm on you two. It'll be removed tomorrow morning right before the ceremony," he pointed out, raising one accusatory eyebrow, "so don't try anything stupid tonight."

Her jaw dropped. "Really?"

He furrowed his brow. "Are you daft or deaf, girl? _Yes_, really!"

She jumped up and down. "YES!!!" Ginny threw her arms around Charlie's neck and kept jumping, almost strangling her older brother in the process.

Grant and Mira retraced their steps quickly to rejoin their friend and watched the spectacle. "_What_ is she dithering about _now_?!" Grant whined.

Mira noticed Charlie couldn't breathe enough to answer, so she detached Ginny from him. "What, is someone dead?" she said as a weird offering of dark humor.

"It ends tomorrow!!" Ginny cheered. She pulled Mira and Grant in close and whispered the fantastic news. "I'm getting Riu back!"

Grant hugged his best mate. "That's wonderful, Ginny!"

Mira nodded and scrutinized Charlie. "What? No comment from the peanut gallery? Or is it the big brother dragon-mounted cavalry?"

Charlie's cheeks pinked, not liking that one that much. "I don't like _him_ or _it_, but if Gin's happy, then…" He didn't need to finish. He looked at Ginny and Mira stood beside him, following his gaze. The glee on his sister's face explained it all. Ginny was happy. So _what_ if Sirius was the cause?

Mira placed a friendly hand on Charlie's shoulder and leaned on him, just watching the girl. The Hufflepuff darted her eyes to Charlie's strong profile. What she told Grant was the truth: She was happy.

And she was glad Charlie was the cause.

* * *

**Actually, this chapter almost reached the same length as 21, so I pat myself on the back. Merlin, if only break-ups went as easy as Mir's did with Grant, but I like Grant still (he also said something that foreshadows who he ends up with –anyone care to take a guess?? anyone???). When I originally came up with him a few years ago, I had never planned for him to have a girlfriend. Now that we have Mir and Charliephina, I am glad I changed Grant's story a bit, because, hey, without Grant, there wouldn't have been a Miraphina (…which kinda feels like an allusion to Adam and Eve…and now I'm creeped out. Ugh. *shudder*)**

**Anywho, you know you want to review, because GRADUATION'S NEXT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (but of course the story's far from over. Pssh.)**

**See you in 23!**

**-mew-tsubaki**


	23. 23rd Hint, 14th Insinuation

**At the Moment**

A HariPo fanfic

by mew-tsubaki

Note: J.K. Rowling's characters are in another companion story to my fics **To the Future**, **From the Past**, and **In the Present**. As usual, there are O.C.s, but duh, because Charlie's with an O.C. Anywho, please enjoy the story and let me know what you think of it in a review. BTW: I don't know how many chapters this'll last, but it will be shorter than the companion stories.

* * *

**The Fourteenth Insinuation (& the Twenty-Third Hint)**

Breakfast was subdued and quiet Sunday morning. The seventh years ate in the Great Hall under the watchful eye of the school ghosts, as the living faculty was setting up things outside. After breakfast, the teens had free time until noon, when graduation would begin.

Mira and Grant found Ginny in the library an hour before the ceremony began. They were already in their black dress robes and pointed caps. Mira's hat also donned a gold badger medal on a black ribbon, and Grant's dangled a silver snake medal on an emerald green ribbon from its rim. The pair of them wondered why their best friend was still wearing her jeans, though.

In answer to their thoughts, Ginny closed the book she had been perusing. "I know I need to change," she stated exasperatedly.

"Well…yes," Grant said. He peeked out a nearby window. "Honestly, you should see how many people are here. There must be just under a thousand out there already."

"If you figure around ten relatives per student, then yeah," Mira calculated. She faced Ginny. "You haven't seen your parents since they found out, have you?"

The redhead ignored the question outright and stood. She stretched her shoulders before giving the other two a bemused grin. "Shall we get going?" It threw them off a bit and she dashed to the door. "I'll go get dressed and meet you outside, guys." Ginny left as Grant opened his mouth, but Miraphina motioned for him to stop, and the brunette took his hand and they exited. Ginny was obviously to anxious about today and getting Sirius back.

* * *

"It's already the end."

"Mira, don't be so dramatic."

Miraphina glared at Grant as they joined their fellow seventh years outside. "But it is. I bet you over half of our classmates have no idea what they're doing next. It's the end."

Grant shook his head. "It's _an_ end. But that only opens the door for the innumerous beginnings we'll next see." He nudged her shoulder. "Besides, I can think of at least one person who has several beginnings awaiting her." He jerked his head towards the staff members, where Charlie stood watching her with Grant.

The Hufflepuff reddened, shot Charlie a small smile, and punched Grant in the arm. "Maybe all _you'll_ see is a dragon-filled end."

"Hey! I'm not joking! I really hate dragons!"

Mira laughed. "I'm just teasing… I'll see you later." She went to join her House, but Grant yanked on her hand, drawing her back. She looked up and saw the laughter had left his eyes, replaced by seriousness. Suddenly, her insides squirmed.

"You aren't going to conveniently forget that I still care for you now that…_we've_ seen our end?"

The brunette frowned uncomfortably. She really wished that things hadn't played out as they had, but… "I can't forget, Grant." She tugged her hand away before he could say another word and rushed to Cirdrine's side. Mira pretended to look for Dana with Drina, but her mind was elsewhere as the ceremony was about to begin and people began taking their places.

Just the setup was breathtakingly beautiful. Families and friends sat behind the seventh years. Slytherins waited in their seats on the left, next to them the Gryffindors, the Hufflepuffs, and then the Ravenclaws. Dumbledore stood at a podium right near the edge of the lake, while the faculty lined up on either side of the seventh years. The sunlight glinted off the water, and cast everyone in an ethereal glow.

The headmaster began a very long-winded speech, and Mira took the chance to look around her. The Black Lake was sparkling in the beautiful daylight and the Forbidden Forest looked lush in its bright, summery green hues. What stood out the most, however, was the silhouette of the castle against the vibrant blue sky. Never had Hogwarts Castle incurred so much awe in Miraphina, but now… Everything was different.

There was a round of applause signaling the headmaster's finality, and that was the cue for the other teachers to go and line up next to him. Dumbledore cleared his throat once everyone quieted.

"First, we have awards for our best students. The top three of the class will receive special honors. If you could," he spoke, gesturing to Grant, Ginny, and Feria Harling, "please join me in applauding their studious regiments."

Those three stepped the platform and shook hands with each teacher. Their last stop was Dumbledore, who gave the students gold pins with one, two, or three stars. Once the pins were beside their hats' house medals, they sat back down, accompanied by more applause.

Finally, it began. Each head-of-house called their students, and the seventh years alphabetically had their medals changed to the school crest. Miraphina was extremely nervous, being the sixth person called up, and her hand felt red-hot when it brushed against Charlie's accidentally, but he briefly hooked a finger with one of hers, and she felt the small bit of stage-fright leave her as she went back to her seat. This ceremony would be over soon and everything would be all perfect, it would be all Charlie, and things would be looking Charliely –_Oh, crap, I can't even form a coherent thought!!_

Several students later… "…Crowley, Raven." Oh, how the blonde walked up the stage without a care in the world. Or not. If anything, she looked stony while McGonagall changed her medal. Mira wondered where Raven's confidence had gone.

"…Dorn, Cara." The girl traipsed up to Flitwick…

"Foigeur, Cirdrine." Drina's smile was as big as ever when she approached Professor Longbottom…

More names later… "Morris, Mavrick." He seemed proud that he'd come this far…

"Oakley, Christopher." Many names later now, the boy met Snape…

"Selwyn, Grant." Mira sadly smiled, knowing Grant had done his best, but… She didn't know if he even had any family left to see him in his greatest moment. But she would watch him. He was someone she still deeply cared for, but those feelings were definitely platonic now. So she would watch over him, like he would with her…

"Stanley, Dana." The tall Hufflepuff rigidly walked up to Professor Longbottom and visibly exhaled a sigh of relief when she got of the platform. Mira and Drina laughed.

"Straumer…" "Syver…" "Tableigh…" "Tavnull…" "Temari…" It seemed to be forever, but Mira knew she'd be up soon, her best friend. "Uzilay…" "Voullier…" "Waelund…" Miraphina sat up; one more, and then a few after and the ceremony would be over… "Wersch…" "Weasley, Ginevra." The redhead stood at McGonagall's clear tone and went up to her head-of-house. Professor McGonagall smiled very warmly before waving her wand and changing Ginny's gold lion medal to that of the lion, the serpent, the badger, and the eagle. Ginny returned to her chair and the last six students met with their teachers in fairly short order. Miraphina's heart was pounding when her last classmate rejoined the class.

Dumbledore approached his podium one more time. The seventh years rose and Mira had never known herself so happy or excited –except with Charlie, of course. "Congratulations!!" He began his hearty clapping, and everyone joined in. And that was it.

* * *

"We're so proud of you!!" Mira's mother squealed as she squeezed her daughter in a tight embrace. She smoothed Mira's hair back, the tears obscuring her vision. "God, when that letter came exclaiming about a magic school, I thought I was completely nutters. And now you're an adult witch!!!"

Mira couldn't quell her grin. "I know, I- ACK!" She was hoisted off the ground by her father, who also hugged her as much as possible without breaking her ribs. "DAD!!!" Her face went red. She hadn't known he could still lift her; she wasn't the kid she used to be!!

Gerry had tears in his eyes, too, though, so all three Athertons were sappy. "You are amazing, Miraphina!!"

"A magic school, though…," Mira's Aunt Clarise mumbled. "Who'd have thought? And you still did well, even here."

"Fifth, if I recall correctly, in her class," Mira's Uncle Joey exclaimed. "That's the Atherton intellect, I tell ya!!"

"And it's nice to have another adult magic user around," Mira's great-aunt Thornlea stated with a warm smile. "You're late great-uncle, Aureus, would've loved to see you graduate from his house, too, but I'm sure he's watching."

Mira felt giddy, getting all this acceptance from family outside her parents. Before, her family tried not to say much, not because they were disgusted, but because they didn't know what to say. They didn't know magic. And Auntie Thornlea never really had the time to visit with Mira. And Uncle Aureus had died before Mira had had the chance to meet him. The new graduate looked around. "Where'd Grandpa and Grandma go? We should take pictures, some good old Muggle ones."

Gerry and Laura scanned the crowd. "I dunno… Why don't you go look for them?" her mother suggested. "We'll all wait right here."

The Hufflepuff left her family then and waded through the mounds of people. She didn't see any sign of her grandparents, though. _Dammit, senility's going to set in before I find them…_

"Mira!"

Her ears perked up, and Grant came up behind her. She was surprised to see him still here. "Grant… Um, who are _you_ looking for?"

"Oh, didn't I tell you? I'll be staying with some not-so-distant family members, the Malfoys. My cousins Narcissa, Draco, Lavender, and their new baby."

"Oh…" Mira blinked. Wow. So he did have someone he could lean on. It almost made Mira a little down, but she remembered her original mission. "I'll see you later. I've gotta find someone and then pictures, you know-"

Grant smiled. "Later, Mira."

She left him, also a little giddy from his smile. Yes, Charlie was her life now, but she couldn't deny that Grant was a charmer. Up ahead, she saw Ginny with her family, and it looked like things were getting awkward. Professor Black were there, too…

Mr. Weasley smiled. "That's our Ginny."

Mira didn't like the tension she felt coming off in waves from Ginny and her parents. "No, that's _our_ Ginny," Sirius and Miraphina stated in unison. Sirius placed a hand on Ginny's shoulder and Mira grabbed one of her arms and clutched it to her.

"Ah, you're Miss Atherton," Mr. Weasley recalled. "Ginny mentioned you on the way back from the Selwyn estate." His eyes drifted begrudgingly to Sirius, but he said nothing else.

Luckily, Ginny's twin brothers and their fiancés came up right then and interrupted the awkward moment. Ginny introduced Mira to her family and Harry and Hermione (to which Mira just about died; remember that they're kinda celebrities, folks), but poked her friend in the arm." Where's our resident snake?" Ginny asked.

"I ran into him a few minutes ago. Now that you mention him, that name sounds familiar… Maybe you told me about one of them before. He said something about closest relatives," Mira stated. "You guys know him, I think. Name's Malfoy."

Ginny's attention moved back to Miraphina; how nice –she'd been talking to Ginny and Ginny had mostly tuned her out. But _that_ had gotten hr attention. "_Draco_?!!" she, Harry, and Hermione all shrieked in unison.

"Yes, me," came a snarky response. The slicked-back hair and clear, sharp eyes of the man standing next to Grant (who gave Mira a 'ta-da' look) belonged to none other than Draco Malfoy. "Still have a problem with me, I see."

"That's in the past, Draco," Harry said. "After all, some helpful info in the Second Great War was divulged by you."

Draco fought down a smirk at the bit of praise. "Yes well, right now I'm not any kind of spy. As it my house wasn't chaotic enough, Dumbledore dropped Grant on us."

"'Us'?" Hermione echoed with raised eyebrows.

"I promise I'll do my bit and baby-sit," Grant cut in. "After I learn _how_ to baby-sit first…"

Molly covered her mouth as she gasped. "Oh, my! Draco, dear, how wonderful!"

Draco's expression was squeamish when Mrs. Weasley kissed his cheek. "Well, it's been a while, but things are pretty steady with Mother being around, too."

"Wait," Harry coughed, stifling his laughter, "you didn't actually _marry_ Pansy Parkinson?"

"I'm _nothing_ like her, Harry," Lavender Brown –well, Malfoy now, Ginny whispered to Mira –corrected, adding an annoying, sarcastic little laugh. There was a bundle in her arms. "That aside, would you like to see Sage Rukh Malfoy?" She folded the blanket down partially and revealed a sleeping baby girl who had wisps of platinum blonde hair on the top of her head. Just like her daddy.

"Oh, Lavender, Draco, she's adorable," Hermione cooed. "Can I hold her?"

Ginny and Mira agreed that Sage was cute, but Mira needed to see her parents. And find her grandparents, of course. "I told them I'd be right back," she said to Ginny over her shoulder, "so maybe I'll see you later, after pictures-"

"Mira, watch out! Charlie-!!" Ginny yelled.

However, that call did not come in time. Mira walked straight into a warm, nice wall –Charlie. Well, it would've been nice if she were just going to be in his arms, but she instead crashed to the ground. Ooh, this was embarrassing _and_ awkward.

"Miraphina! Sorry," Charlie said, forgetting to not use her first name, and he offered her a hand up, which she took. Merlin, his touch was the best thing in the world! "Guess I got distracted." And she had a feeling _she_ had been the distraction.

Grant left Draco and Lavender and rushed over. "Are you okay, Mira?"

The Hufflepuff brushed the grass out of her hair. "Yes, Grant, I'm fine," she muttered shortly, not wanting to be reminded that she had just finally broken up with him to be with the man she was next to right now.

He frowned, a little hurt at her harsh words, but Ginny changed the subject. "Um, Mira, pictures? Your parents?" she reminded her. Her eyes lowered and Mira realized Charlie still held the curvy brunette's hand. And now Ginny had seen that. Ginny coughed.

Mira blinked and withdrew her hand as if nothing was out of the ordinary, forcing her blush down. "Right! I'll try to get back as quickly as I can, so stay here, okay?" She gave Ginny a quick hug and scampered off before the redhead could comment. AGHHH!!!

_How could I have been so stupid?!! We're still surrounded by everyone! The only one who knows is Grant, you dummy!!_ She found her grandparents and dragged them back to her parents, aunts, and uncle. They huddled together around Mira to try to fit in for the picture.

"Miraphina, are you all right?" Auntie Thornlea asked, concern laced with slight amusement in her tone.

Try as she might, the brunette couldn't contain the heat of her cheeks any longer. "I'm just happy, is all." And she was. But she wondered when she wouldn't have to act so shifty about her happiness. Or about Charlie.

* * *

_Crap. I. Am. An. Idiot._ Charlie couldn't stop thinking about what had just happened. Sure, Mira had left just a second ago, but… But-! Mira was just too much. He could never act or think straight when she was around. And then he'd gone and held her hand with everyone else still around. Although, he was fairly sure no one had actually seen… His darting eyes met Laurel's. The look she gave him was scathing. _Oh, crap._

"We need to find my mother," Draco stated. "Sage needs a nap, and we should eat, so come on, Grant." He yanked on Grant's collar but switched to ushering the eighteen-year-old along after Lavender nudged him and shook her head.

"So it's back to just family," Charlie stated nervously; he kinda wish there were more witnesses around, though. "Did someone really let Draco spawn?" he inquired incredulously, trying to be lighthearted.

"Love occasionally leads to children, Charles," Laurel remarked. And, once again, things were uncomfortable. Of course. This was going to be a veeeeery long night for him.

"Well, how about a picture?" Fred asked.

"Wait, look! There's Lee!" George exclaimed, so the twins dragged their fiancés off to see an old friend.

Molly smiled, but it was tight. "Ginny, dear, I take it all of your things are ready to go?"

The witch stiffened, and Charlie knew _this_ part of today wasn't going to end well, either. "Um, yes, of course they are…"

"Where are you planning on going?"

Ginny blinked and Charlie couldn't believe what their mother had just said. Was that really _Molly Weasley_ who'd just said that to her baby, her only daughter?! "…What?"

All eyes were on Molly and Arthur. "We know it's been a tough year, Ginny," Arthur softly said, "but your mother and I aren't idiots, you know. You cleared out your room when we asked you to pack for your seventh year. Since you have no intention of coming back, then you can't."

Ginny closed her eyes and deeply inhaled. Charlie honestly thought his little sis was going to let them have it; after all, she _was_ her mother's daughter, but… Opening her eyes, Ginny locked her gaze with Sirius. "I'll stay with Sirius, then." He returned her smile, but her mother turned ashen white. Clearly, they hadn't anticipated that. Neither had Charlie, but he liked it better than Ginny having no place at all to go.

"You most certainly will not!!" Molly shouted. "We never gave permission for this –this _fling_ to happen!" She shook her head and waved a hand at them, dismissing their relationship. "No! Absolutely not!"

It was obvious that Ginny fought to keep from screaming at their mother. "So you want me to be homeless until I work for enough money for an apartment?" she asked through gritted teeth.

"Ginny…," Arthur mumbled. "It's not that we-"

"What if she stays with us?" Hermione interrupted. Ginny looked at her and Harry, who gave her a wink. "Arthur, Molly, would it be acceptable if Ginny stays with us? Until she can get her feet on the ground, that is."

It was obvious that they hadn't anticipated that, either. Arthur looked dumbfounded, and Molly's mouth formed a perfect O. A second later, Molly seemed to regain her composure. "Well, I suppose… Only if Sirius does not see her. If I hear that he visits for midnight trysts-"

Ginny's cheeks matched Gryffindor's maroon image color. "_MOTHER_!!"

Charlie heaved an inward sigh. Were this many of his family members seriously without tact?

"He won't bother her," Harry replied. "We promise."

Molly smoothed her dress and gave all of them a curt nod. "Well, then. I guess that is all we have to say." Without another word, she sauntered off, heading for McGonagall, Dumbledore, and Remus. At some point, Luna had slipped away and was already chatting with the three professors, and Arthur dashed off to join his wife, the teachers, and the _Quibbler_ reporter.

"That was generous of you," Charlie told Harry and Hermione. "Although, are you sure you can handle living with her?" he added with a teasing grin.

"Are you really going to separate us?" Ginny asked.

"You didn't listen, did you?" Harry said, and he exchanged a conspiratorial grin with Sirius.

Ginny rolled her eyes, and Charlie shot the godson and godfather a look to warn them from doing anything mischievous. Someone nudged Charlie in the back, though. Laurel was frowning and Charlie said nothing.

"Care for a walk?" she asked.

* * *

"_YOU WRETCH!!!!!_"

Charlie was surprised he could still hear. Actually, he was really surprised no one else had heard them deep inside the Forbidden Forest. Laurel had been quite shrill. So… Round Two?

"_I KNEW IT!!_ All along, and I'd told you, and you'd denied it, and then I'd confronted you again and you'd _accepted_ it, but _this_!!! THIS!! Do you realize how humiliating that was?!!"

"Laurel, I'm sorry-"

"What if the others noticed? I wanted to just finish out the school year, but-"

Charlie glared at her. "But what? Then you were going to tear me limb from limb for falling out of love with you?!"

"I was going to end us when things were quiet!!" she snarled. "But you just _had_ to flaunt little Miss Bovine!!!"

"_What?!!_ How _dare_ you!! Mira is NO SUCH THING!!!" He flung his cloak to the ground, his blood boiling. It was too hot to have this infuriating argument. But she- She-!!! Mira was gorgeous and he loved her, and he loved how she could fit in his arms but that she was curvy, like a real woman should be. And Laurel had called her something awful, that…that _bitch_!!!

"Why the hell are _you_ angry?!! You get the best part of the deal!! I'm the one who's tossed aside like yesteryear's broom!!"

Charlie grabbed Laurel roughly by the arms. "I'm not-!!" He inhaled to try to calm his inner raging storm. "I'm not tossing you aside Laurel. But you smothered me and I wanted to escape. I wasn't looking for anyone to replace you. It just happened. And…" He trailed off, unsure whether he should tell her about Trelawney's reading.

"And…?" she prodded, still angry.

He gave in and told her. So now Laurel new that it wasn't her. Well, he'd hoped that she'd have that reaction. But things just weren't going to go his way today.

"HA!!" Laurel darkly laughed. "You expect me to believe _that_?!! That you and she were 'predicted' to happen?!" She punched his jaw, every ounce of dragon strength in that right hook. "Don't insult me further, Charles. You and I are over, and I don't think I could be happier." She spat on him before making her way to his hut. Several minutes later, a Tri-Taloned Featherwing flew out from the far side of the forest. Maybe that would be the last time a Featherwing would be seen ever again.

* * *

**Well. Innit that nice? I ended up making Laurel a crazy bitch here. Whoops. It's okay, I have other plans for her, though we probably won't actively see her again, just hear about her. But I don't think you guys mind, considering how angry she made Charlie and what she called Mira. Even I'M surprised she said what she said. The characters are running away with the story again…**

**Well, review, and also check out the poll on my bio. Maybe I'll do a Charlie-related one soon… Hmmm….**

**Merry Christmas!**

**-mew-tsubaki ;D**


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